Hunting Act has not stopped cruelty to foxes; it must now be strengthened

YOUR correspondent Jim Barrington is correct in his recent letter, the Hunting Act is indeed a bad piece of legislation.

It needs strengthening! He writes in an attempt to give us, the ignorant public, more information about the so-called sport.

Why then does he not mention the foxes reared for release in front of the hounds? Or the badger setts blocked before hunt day and left blocked for the badgers to suffocate or starve? Why does he not refer to the terrier men who dig out foxes from setts so that they can be thrown to the hounds? How about referring to the illegal quad bikers with no number plates, who block public roads to give the hunt free access with no-one to witness what goes on? And what becomes of the injured dogs or those that don’t make the grade, or those that spread bovine TB across the countryside? He could also refer to hunters rampaging through villages, trespassing on farm land, damaging gardens and scaring householders.

In conclusion, will Jim Barrington please explain why his pro-hunt organisation can claim the name Countryside Alliance whilst reliable surveys show that over 80 per cent of country folk are against hunting?