In response to Peter Green's comments regarding theWillowbrook swans (Letters, June 4), it is amazing how the attitude of councillors changes when they come under fire.

I would like to thank the many people who have phoned, written or come up to us to thank us for taking the right action.

I find it sad Councillor Green feels the need to criticise and that he has difficulty in apologising to us for his offensive remarks.

The swans are more than happy at their new home near Crowborough. They have not rejected their young, which was unlikely anyway.

It is irrelevant the cygnets had managed to get out before.

They were having problems and would have died if left in their muddied and waterlogged condition. The water level may even have changed just enough to cause a problem.

As for the midnight mission - we received an emergency call at 11.30pm that night and that is when we responded.

If we had left the cygnets and they had drowned, we would have broken the law for causing unnecessary suffering.

Any member of the public has the authority to catch and deal with a wildlife casualty. It is important with swans that families are kept together and therefore it is legally acceptable the family was removed.

We have spoken to the Sussex Police Liaison Officer and the County Wildlife Liaison Co-ordinator. A report on the incident has been sent to Sussex Police and to Her Majesty's Swan Marker and they are all satisfied with the action taken.

I would like to know who removed the swans previously and why this was done.Or does Coun Green mean they flew off naturally and have returned?

I would also like to know how they can identify, for sure, these are the same swans? Or did they tag them?

It is not uncommon for new swans to take over vacant territories.

If the swans were moved previously, they obviously were not moved properly, otherwise they would not have returned - perhaps the local experts were involved.

I would also like to know who these local experts are he refers to? Eghamis the leading authority on swan welfare in the country, with founder Dot Beeson receiving the BEM from Her Majesty in recognition of her work with swans.

I wonder if Coun Green is referring to the same experts who said the eggs were still viable even a week after the last cygnet had hatched and that the cygnets would be rejected.

Surely they should know swans' eggs hatch over a two to three-day period.

Perhaps Coun Green, in his capacity as executive member for the environmental services at Worthing Borough Council, might like to talk to international experts and specialists before making drastic statements and comments that are incorrect and unjust.

-Trevor Weeks, Hailsham