Sir – I have a number of concerns about the planned route of the military repatriation corteges through our village.

I fear that our village will become a focal point for those people who wish to express their sympathy as the corteges pass through our village, with a few brave souls venturing to the extreme outskirts of Carterton, playing only a minor role in these events.

I can see a crowd of people standing along the single narrow pavement that runs through our village, more convenient for throwing their floral tributes on the cortege, and every one of the culs-de-sac (which form the majority of the housing in this part of our village) blocked up with their cars.

My reason for saying this is because Brize Norton is already well known to many people as somewhere to view the aircraft from the end of the runway at the far end of the village.

If there is an unusual aircraft due to land at the base, you will find a crowd gathered down there, ignoring the double yellow lines and parking indiscriminately in every conceivable space — even in the actual gateway of this eastern exit point.

That is to view an aircraft coming into land at the base at this one point.

Surely this cortege will attract an even larger crowd, spread right throughout the village. They’re not going to want to wait for the cortege standing on a windy grass verge on the edge of Carterton.

There’s also talk of road closures and alternative routes. There’s only one direct route from our village to Carterton.

So what happens if on one of these special days we have urgent appointments with the Carterton doctors or dentists?

Surely the fallen deserve better than to be sneaked out the back door in this way?

They embarked on their mission through the main gates. Don’t they deserve to exit in the same way on their final journey?

And don’t the people of Carterton deserve the chance to show their appreciation of their sacrifice by having a proper route through the town?

Bob Hounslow, Brize Norton