The only way to describe the cruel sports/fox hunting lobby is it is the ignorant and confused led by the arrogant. The latter demonstrates in Parliament and society that it thinks the cruel pastime is more important than any other issue.

Having held back better understanding and respect for other species and nature for generations, it is now trying to appear concerned with all matters rural under guise of the Countryside Alliance. In reality it is spending huge amounts of money, time and effort trying to get this cruel pastime legal again.

Anti-cruel sports people oppose all acts of cruelty to other species and do not try to justify abuse of human or non-human animals, while the fox hunting lobby makes patronising noises about the former in order to excuse abuse of the latter.

What we rural people need is support for important issues, and some sort of Government monetary payment to livestock farmers to farm in a welfare environmentally friendly way.

DAVID THOMAS Hisomley Near Westbury