The report 'Plant Trees to Stem Flooding' (Gazette, January 7) quoted Graham Bowcock, a spokesman for the RICS, who indicated that the planting of trees in upland areas 'can stop floodwater reaching our market towns' or can slow the downward flow of water and have 'a significant impact on the likelihood of flooding occurring further downstream'.

While mature forests can absorb some rainfall, according to research the canopy can intercept up to 25 per cent of rainfall but no more than around 6mm of rainfall per day, or around 1.5 per cent of the deluges experienced in December 2015 and November 2009, which were each over 310mm .

In winter periods the leaf canopy is absent in deciduous forests, hence canopy rainfall interception would be of no real benefit to those affected by winter flooding.

Forest soils are more open textured than current upland grazing soils so are able to absorb water similar to a sponge. Once the sponge is saturated it is of no further benefit, so in the circumstances when there has been substantial rainfall as experienced during pre-flood periods there is no further impact on flood prevention until the soils dry out again.

While I will be delighted if more land is devoted to native forests, their effect on large-scale flood prevention is surely a myth. I am believe residents from homes that flooded in areas downstream of Cumbria's forests can confirm that, despite forestation, flooding still arose.

Information on the effectiveness of forests on flood prevention is available on http://www.forestry.gov.uk/ Alastair Kirk Hawkshead