Sir – Luke Gregg (Letters, March 26) gave us a lengthy but muddled history of hunting intertwined with some class obsession.

Mr Gregg incorrectly claimed “royalty” in the sixteenth century introduced more foxes and kept hunting to themselves. In fact, the first documented fox hunt was by Norfolk farmers in about 1535, to protect their livestock. After 460 odd years, New Labour tried to fix something that wasn’t broken with their ban. All that effort and wasted public money could have been spent on our social services and the NHS.

Mr Gregg seems far more concerned with people than the real issues of animal welfare and conservation.

It is beyond doubt that hunting, like other country sports, is a force for good. Resent research by Belfast University concluded that in countryside conserved by coursing clubs the hare population was eighteen fold greater than in similar areas.

A comparable situation has emerged regarding rare ground-nesting birds in upland areas managed by gamekeepers.

We either look after our countryside adhering to conservation based on scientific research. Or let vote-hungry politicians continue their corrosive agenda that will destroy centuries of work.

Jon Burgess
Malvern