Your respondent, M Thomason (Letters, April 16), appears happy for fracking to take place in Balcombe and resents the protesters.

He fails to appreciate that the protesters were drawing attention to the possible problems which fracking may cause.

To be commercially viable, about 30 wells will have to be drilled in the Balcombe area.

With 30 wells, earth tremors may well occur.

No doubt Mr Thomason is happy with this even if the wells are quite close to his property.

Fracking does cause tremors and British insurers are considering following American insurers and excluding damage caused by fracking from household insurance policies.

If tremors occur at Balcombe, no doubt the water and sewage pipes, many of which are well over 50 years old, will fracture and householders would then have to bear the cost of repairs if insurers exclude such damage.

If tremors were such that they caused Balcombe Viaduct to fall and the tunnel to collapse, the oil companies will say it is the fault of all the rain we have had this winter and they will not take responsibility.

The cost will be enormous and will have to be paid by the residents of Sussex, including Mr Thomason.

If the cost of policing one well is £4 million and there are at least 30 wells to be drilled, the cost of policing these wells to the Sussex taxpayer will be huge and Sussex councils will be bankrupt by the autumn.

Perhaps Mr Thomason should thank the protesters for bringing the problems to the public’s notice.

As I have said before, oil companies should be required to take out insurance of at least £1 billion to cover all eventualities which may arise before any application to drill is approved.

B Bayliss, Mornington Crescent, Hove