I HAVE no wish to criticise the Hereford Times as I been a reader for as long as I can remember and feel that the type of unbiased honest news reporting the type of which you maintain is vital, especially in this era of fake news.

But I was disappointed to see that you had relegated your report on the winning of a Olympic Bronze medal by local athlete Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and crewmate Rebecca Wilde in the woman's double sculls event. Instead, you led with another piece about the never-ending saga of the bypass.

Of course, you are right to continue reporting on this interminable project and to highlight the frankly eyewatering sums of money already spent on something that has produced only “150 metres of road”, as the report says.

I just think it would have been great to lead with a little bit of good news of people who have spent years training hard, putting their personal lives on hold for little financial reward.

The Olympics throws this commitment in sharp relief to professional football, certainly at Premier League and international level, which is full of arrogant money-grabbing little boys. Anyway, a game I loved is now – to me at least – overexposed, overrated, and overpaid, and I have little time for it.

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Letters should not exceed 250 words and local issues take precedence.

So, in short, please celebrate local heroes when they achieve great results.

PAUL OLDMAN

HEREFORD