SIR - I refer to the article about the dramatic rescue of a mother and child after falling into the fast flowing river Wharfe at Bolton Abbey (T&A, November 29).

The call has gone out for a review of safety measures at the well-known beauty spot. One suggestion by the family is for more signage to be erected.

Surely this is just a further indication of the nanny state we live in. Is it any wonder people are no longer able to make risk assessments of their own?

Mr Hastings is quoted as describing the river as a vertical waterfall. Why then did he or his wife contemplate crossing the river by the stepping stones, let alone with a seven-year-old child?

I have visited Bolton Abbey in the past and after seeing the state of the river decided to use the nearby bridge instead.

Maybe more people in this situation should do the same. The answer is not more signs, just common sense.

Anthony Sugden, Hillcrest Road, Bradford