Two weeks ago the residents of Llandyssil were treated to a magnificent display right over the top of the village by five red kites.

We are used to seeing one or maybe two kites in the day but five was a real treat. They used the thermals on a hot Sunday to swoop and glide over the village, diving down to roof top level and clearly pairing up for breeding. Then, we were left with two solitary kites who came every morning and fly over the village.

Now we just two weeks on we seem to have lost even our regular kites.

Why would a mindless ignorant person shoot such a magnificent bird? What drives someone who is ‘supposedly’ responsible enough to be granted a gun licence, to shoot birds that do no harm to anyone or anything?

Clearly a normal member of the public would have no reason to kill a Kite, the majority of the population are just delighted to see them spread to this area.

In these very dark and troubling times, the spectacle of the kites over Llandyssil was so uplifting, it made you realise that there will be an end to this horror we all find ourselves in and there is a great deal to celebrate.

Now, that has been taken away from us all. I hope a relative or acquaintance of the perpetrator has the courage to report the guilty person and that an example can be made of them.

Sadly, nothing will bring back the kites that we in the village watched with pride and admiration and the dark days continue and will do for many months to come.

Mike Beloe, Llandyssil