By Community Correspondent David Coleman The saga of fishing the grade one bird sanctuary pond continues as Merton Council now admits to local Lib Dems that toddlers trikes and those of older children are not banned from the footpath.What the fishermen will make of this is another matter. How this leaves the question of health and safety is also still unanswered.Meanwhile local nature lovers keep up the pressure on the Council to re-apply the former popular ban on fishing by distributing a questionnaire:- Cannon Hill Pond, SW20 Cannon Hill Common is, or was, a small oasis of calm. A grade one nature site with a small pond (a strip of water approx 260yds x 24yds ) forming the border of a designated bird sanctuary where the majority of birds are, of course, water fowl. Naturally local residents supported the erstwhile Council’s prohibition on fishing. Now an angling club has been formed and fishing platforms are planned. Herons have been ensnared in fishing lines and drowned, ducks and gulls are being hooked, vegetation trodden down .

Do you support fishing on our pond ? Yes ....... No ........ (tick either) Any personal comments ? ................................................................................

Information about a non-political nature group, Friends of Cannon Hill Pond may be viewed at http://cannonballcommonblog.blogspot.com/ or on Wimbledon Guardian website by keying in Cannon Hill Common in their enquiry box.

Replies to this form may be emailed to fw24@dial.pipex.com, by post to 23 Elm Walk SW20 9ED or directly to the Council David.Simpson@merton.gov.uk with copy to fw24@dial.pipex.com