Jonathan Hale, of The Willows, Hallsands, writes: It was announced that a £250,000 project to protect Slapton Line had been given the go-ahead and that much-­needed funds from central ­government had been obtained. The plan? Build some ­sandcastles. Perhaps harking back to ­idyllic days on the beach as children had inspired our political elite to conclude that this was going to be the solution that would prevent Slapton Line from being washed into the sea. It seems, however, that these children did not hang about at the end of the day to see their prized fortresses being washed away. One mild north-easterly on a big tide was all it took to wash away 27,000 tonnes of shingle. Three weeks of work, involving 3,000 lorry journeys – one day of work by the sea. But the ignominy does not end there. Oh no! We then get local politicians on television telling us that in fact throwing £250,000 into the sea is okay... everything is going to plan... we have saved the sea wall at Torcross from being damaged. South Hams Council launched into a propaganda offensive to tell us on its ­website that it has raised the beach level at Torcross by 1.6 metres, accompanied by some nice pictures to show Joe Public that the plan is working. The fact that one set of ­pictures is taken at high water and the other set, illustrating success, at low water seems to be stretching the truth by around 1.6 metres. The truth is that an election is coming. Politicians have been sitting on their hands for a year knowing that Slapton Line is in a perilous state, leaving any action until as late as possible so that it is fresh in the minds of the electorate when the time comes to cast their votes. Like children after a day at the beach building sandcastles, they have spent the early evening in a penny arcade ­casually blowing £25 of their parents' hard-earned money to win a teddy bear with its eyes falling out, then holding up the teddy bear, they beam with ­success.