SIR – With the development and refurbishment of Cathedral Square and Lychgate, an excellent opportunity has arisen to link this new area to the lovely and much visited Friar Street.
This can easily be achieved by using the vacant plot in Friar Street which lies between The Home Furnishing Shop and The Beautician’s. This gap is now hidden behind a pair of metal gates.
A walkway here, would be much appreciated by both residents and visitors, leading them between modern and medieval Worcester.
As this area was once inhabited by a Franciscan Friary, an appropriate name would be Greyfriar’s Walk
JACKIE CRADDOCK
Worcester

Hunting foxes is a ‘barbaric’ activity
SIR – In response to Jack Bennett (‘Hounds at Risk with Total Hunting Ban’ - July 23) and as one of the ‘ignorant, anti-hunting, dreadful and thoughtless people’, that opposes hunting with dogs, I would just say to him put yourself in the place of the fox. When you have been chased by a baying, pack of hounds, being increasingly more terrified as you reach the limits of exhaustion in the sure and certain knowledge that if you are caught then you will surely die, would he still support this barbaric activity? I doubt it very much.
He says that, ‘nobody...loves to kill a fox. It defeats the object, i.e. the fun of the chase’. Fun of the chase!? Hounding a sentient being to its death is barbaric. It is not a pastime that is fun for the animal being hunted which will be shot or torn to pieces. At no point in his letter does he acknowledge the mental and physical distress of the animal.
He asserts it’s OK because the people chasing the hounds, which are chasing the fox are only there to have fun.
He dresses this Neanderthal activity in a supposed air of respectability because the dogs would do this in the wild! Really?
When was the last time he or anyone else saw a pack of wild hounds in Britain, chasing down foxes or anything else for that matter?
No amount of justification can explain why we hunt in this country, in this way. Man is an animal, that is a matter of fact. The animals that are being chased down are just as sentient as man. The human race is in the perfect position to use its superior cognitive abilities to find ways to exist alongside other animals. Instead, the self-satisfied, egocentric and existentialist country-folk that can see no further than the end of their hounds’ noses are happy to participate in this savagery under the guise of fun and ‘wie schade’ for the quarry.
Surprise, surprise, Mr. Bennett then paints a picture of a doleful hound looking into the eyes of a human as it’s being put down by gun and bullet. In the civilised world, Mr Bennett, there are charities and people that can help with re-training and rehousing the dogs and should it become necessary to kill them, there are many more humane ways of easing the animals into the embrace of death. I suppose death by gun is the only option for the innately destructive. They should be sorry to call themselves part of humanity.
(I am required to state that this an e-mail which is my own opinion and has no connection to the organisation from which I send it)
MARC W DUGMORE
Worcester

Immigration is filling up classes in schools
SIR – That Britain needs to find secondary school places for an extra 547,000 pupils in the next ten years will certainly dismay millions of British families.
Responsible parents expect the state to help them provide top quality education for their children, but they are currently hampered from doing so by an irresponsible government which allows uncontrolled immigration into the country, thus squeezing secondary school place availability.
Ukip is the only major party that has raised this issue repeatedly in recent years and believes the current unsustainable levels of migration will cause ongoing problems in the future, not just in education but in areas such as the healthcare, housing and transport.
I believe the answer lies with Britain becoming a sovereign nation, outside the European Union’s political union, with the ability to control the numbers and quality of the people who come here.
JAMES CARVER MEP,
Ukip West Midlands

Obama should stay out of the EU-UK debate
SIR – Once again, President Obama is involving himself in the UK-EU membership debate.
I am sure he means well, but this is a matter for UK citizens only.
In America, members of the Washington political elite are as unpopular as their UK Westminster counterparts.
However, Americans have the advantage that all their laws, rules and regulations are produced by Americans in America. Just think what would happen on the streets of America if up to 70 per cent of laws were imposed by a foreign country!
We need what the Americans have – home rule!
We British enjoyed this for centuries – we want it restored. Vote “NO” in the EU Referendum.
MARTYN WHEELER
St Peter’s,  Worcester

Six police committing crimes is not many
SIR – Six policemen committing crimes is nothing in a force of several thousands.
I reckon police pay should be trebled, Mrs May. Our police have an impossible job (news item July 24).
GEORGE COWLEY

Worcester