MAURICE Brett and Suzanne Campbell (You Say, December 14 and 15) make a quite extraordinary attack on the veterinary profession, because, in the majority, they support the continuation of hunting with hounds.

The suggestion that vets support hunting merely for financial gain will be treated with the contempt it deserves. Vets, especially those working in rural areas, spend most of their waking hours tending sick and injured animals. Their work is often difficult, dirty and sometimes dangerous but they continue to provide the highest standards of care.

The NOP poll carried out for the Daily Telegraph in October this year clearly showed that at least 55 per cent of vets, both rural and urban, oppose a ban on hunting. Vets who practice in the countryside are much more inclined to support hunting because they fully understand the welfare implications for all involved, especially the fox.

J WOOD, Worcester.