THE letter (You Say, Wednesday, December 8) from Douglas Batchelor, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports was triumphalist to say the least.

I wonder if he will still be applauding this corrupt Government when it rushes through a Bill to postpone the hunting ban for 18 months or more just to avoid its implementation close to the General Election next May.

The proof, if it were needed, that the ban has nothing to do with animal welfare, it has always been about the politics of prejudice.

In his letter Mr Batchelor makes very clear that the League favours all hunts converting to drag hunting.

In the spirit of reconciliation I trust the League will be inviting at least one drag hunt on to their extensive estates in the West Country. The drag hunt concerned could even use the carcasses of the deer regularly culled by the League to feed their hounds.

Finally as Mr Batchelor believes he has seen the last of hunting could he explain something I have been trying to understand for years.

Why have a number of people left LACS to support the continuation of hunting on the grounds of animal welfare? A simple question but I doubt it will be answered.

JON BURGESS,

Malvern.