IN a rare moment of honesty from the bloodsports brigade we have Audrey Steel admitting "abuse and exploration", is a factor in "hunting with dogs" (You Say, January 7).

What the hunt fraternity is not so honest about is its attempted portrayal of anti-hunt campaigners as being hooligans.

Every year, after the Boxing Day meets, their Press releases and letters paint a very different picture to what actually took place.

People can see through this propaganda and facts speak for themselves.

And it is a pity that Mr Burgess' supposed concern for the hunts' horses and dogs, (You Say, January 4), does not appear to extend to the hunted animal.

In these columns he admitted that he is a supporter of hare hunting.

Whiskey tent

In another moment of rare honesty from the hunt fraternity, Irish writer Brendan Behan discovered how drink could take the sting out of hare coursing by retiring to the whiskey tent during the meet, remarking that it helped drown out the screams of dying hares and made the experience a little more bearable.

While on the subject of hare hunting, perhaps Mr Burgess could explain to us all why he thinks hares are pests?

Normal people love to see hares in the countryside - unfortunately, these days hares are a rare sight, as they are on the bio-diversity species at-risk register.

So why support an activity, Mr Burgess, that is of detriment the environment and its eco systems?

A KNITTEL,

Worcester.