SIR - I was interested to note Chris Barltrop's tirade against the alleged political involvement' of the RSPCA - including their stance on the fox-hunting issue - and the subsequent responses to his accusations.

I know personally many members of the RSPCA, Cats Protection, the PDSA and so on and I applaud the often extremely difficult work that they do.

The cases of animal cruelty as so often highlighted in the Worcester News in recent times should be a cause of concern to us all, as it has been shown that callous behaviour in teenage and adulthood towards fellow humans is often characterised by desensitising abuse of animals in these individuals' formative years.

ANDY O'HARE, Worcester.