13 SEPTEMBER 1986, Page 27

Village lads

Sir: 'Not a single lad in the village. . .' (T. E. Utley, Politics, 23 August), but how could Welbourne have known? Surely few 16-year-olds would have admitted short- comings on that score.

Conceding that Welbourne was right, isn't it important that they were village lads? Some children are orphans being brought up by maiden aunts in the suburbs, where the only animal is a neutered cat.

`The "modern world" has no more and no less need of sex instruction than any other age' is going to look nostalgically innocent five years from now if Britain follows the American pattern and has not hundreds but thousands dying expensively of Aids.

Michael W. D. White

19 rue des Chalands, 95610 Eragny sur Oise, France