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The Wellcome Trust is concerned about building a synchrotron at the Daresbury site, which is on a slight incline ("Wellcome bias stirs up unions", THES, December 10).

The Japanese have built a synchrotron around a mountain, the French have built one on lowland between two rivers, the American and Italians have constructed them to operate in earthquakes. Could I suggest the trust make a modest investment in United Kingdom civil engineering?

P. Weightman Director, Surface Science Research Centre, University of Liverpool