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I am glad that the government has moved to protect birds and wildlife from toxic lead exposure by banning lead ammunition (Report, 10 July). It would be great if its next move could be to try to protect the estimated 200,000 children in the UK who have asymptomatic and undiagnosed lead exposure that will cause them lifelong health and cognitive impairments. At present we have a passive surveillance system that misses 99% of cases. Lee Crawfurd Senior research fellow, Center for Global Development When working for the same civil service department as Ian Arnott (Letters, 14 July), my husband was told by a senior manager that if he wanted to “get on” in his career he should “lose the beard”. He didn’t – and he didn’t. Dianna Hagerty Deal, Kent I chatted to a group of 16-year-old bearded students after an exam, pointing out the social changes they represented. When training to teach in the 1960s, we students had to shave our beards off when going into schools on teaching practice. Were we just unkempt or dangerous, lefty trendies? Brian Thomas Marden, Kent Re Barney Ronay’s article (11 July), Jasprit Bumrah is cricket’s Toshiro Mifune. A mesmerising samurai for our time, he has the gentle mien, the hunched shoulder, the warrior’s intensity and natural authority. And we love him. Mary Adams London What about Two Soups (Everybody’s favourite manic pixie dream aunt: Celia Imrie’s 20 best films – ranked!, 10 July)? Lucy Hamilton Weymouth, Dorset Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section. Even in moments when the deadline is seconds away and steam is coming out of the laptop — those last-ball finishes on which the entire story hinges — it remains a huge privilege to relay the action to our readers. And going by (most of) the comments and emails, we seem to have a good thing going: a shared love of dissecting a sport that is as absorbing as it is absurd, life-affirming and yet the perfect escape from it. And, very much in the don’t-ask-don’t-get spirit of the lbw law, this is a gentle reminder about the option to financially support the Guardian to help sustain all the above and plenty more. We like being free at the point of entry and do not take gambling industry advertising money, which underpins so much of sports media these days. And, beyond our cricket coverage, you would be backing an investigative, independent news organisation in an era of misinformation and assaults on the freedom of the press. If you can, please consider supporting us today. We value whatever you can share but a monthly subscription makes the biggest impact. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/15/protect-children-not-just-animals-from-lead-exposure

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