Thames Water's plans for a new reservoir in Oxfordshire will be both disruptive and destructive of our landscape.

Yet the company continues to leak nearly 900m litres of water a day - water that has been collected, cleaned and transported, only to be lost.

Current plans to reduce this leakage are modest and inadequate.

We understand that the water companies also are planning for an increase in personal consumption of nearly 10 per cent a head in the South East, while dragging their feet on water metering and water efficiency.

It is unacceptable that Thames Water is planning such a huge development at this stage.

It should not be distracted from its main tasks of reducing leakage and encouraging its domestic and industrial customers to use a precious resource more efficiently.

BRUCE TREMAYNE, Chairman, Council to Protect Rural, England, Oxfordshire, The Old Rectory, Charlton-on-Otmoor