6 IN reply to Maurice Brett (You Say, February 22) about hare coursing, I find it strange that he should selectively quote from the Burns report into hunting when I seem to recall him publicly condemning the Burns inquiry on BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester.

Maurice forgets to mention that Burns found that we have a stable hare population, that was in fact above average in areas traditionally favoured by coursing, and that hare numbers could well drop if coursing were banned.

Maurice is right to say that Burns was not invited to comment on whether hunting and coursing should be banned.

The agenda for Burns was set by the Blair Government who had received money from the animal rights movement.

I have personally offered Maurice the chance to go coursing to see for himself. As I expected, he declined my offer.

Having attended many coursing meetings around the country over a number of years I have never seen a single hare torn apart. Visiting one coursing club on the Cotswolds regularly I have not seen them take one hare so far this season.

Coursing is an ancient tradition that has helped to conserve hare numbers in the face of intensive arable farming, necessitated by a growing human population and near starvation in two world wars.

Naturally, country people would miss this as part of their life but I am sure the hare as a species would be much worse of if coursing were banned.

JON BURGESS,

Malvern.