I AM as concerned about human rights as animal rights.

I have been as vehement in my opposition to the downgrading of Kidderminster Hospital, as to seeing the legalised barbarism called hunting banned from the fields of Britain.

Chris Rodgers (Letters, April 11) knows full well, as he admits, that the overwhelming majority of people in Britain are opposed to hunting.

The fact that the Countryside Alliance can so word opinion poll questions to make it appear that those people who oppose blood sports are in the minority, is typical of that organisation.

The Countryside Alliance were asked to withdraw misleading statements like "millions will turn out on Boxing Day to support hunting".

The recent Burns report brief was not to say whether hunting was cruel nor to support or ban hunting.

The Protection of Animals Act 1922 made it a criminal offence to be cruel to a domestic or farm animal. So we can have the situation where a magistrate or judge who goes out killing foxes for fun with a pack of hounds can, the next day, sentence a youth for setting dogs onto cats.

The youth pointed out that he had done wrong but the magistrate had done exactly the same thing. He was guilty but the magistrate innocent.

Neither DEFRA nor the old MAFF have ever said that foxes were vermin. In fact foxes do a lot of good by controlling the number of rabbits, rats and mice etc.

In many areas hunting keeps the numbers up by encouraging the foxes to breed in artificial earths or by spreading them.

There is no evidence either that foxes take many healthy live lambs. Dogs are a bigger problem.

It is a great pity hunt supporters cannot see a "middle way" in switching to drag hunting.

They cannot be surprised that the majority of MPs want to stop their sadistic pleasures by banning the hunting of wild animals.

MPs have voted now not just once but three times, for an outright ban. The will of the people must be listened to now.

DIXON SHEPPARD

Briar Way, Stourport