Sir – We have been walking our dogs through Ruskin Fields, picking blackberries in them, seeing our children play there, without objection from the college.

Indeed, the Principal is only too aware of this: when she decided to try to sell them for development a few months ago, realising that community use would make planning permission less likely, she had Keep Out signs put up, thorn hedges planted, and spiked metal barriers erected at the ways in.

Clive Hurst, Headington