I think Dan Norris is asking the wrong question. Anti-hunt feelings are stronger now than ever.

Survey after survey shows around 72 per cent of people are against hunting foxes with dogs. For deer hunting, it goes up to around 80 per cent. What other issues command such support?

Only those in denial still think that hunting with dogs is acceptable to the people of this country. The question we should be asking is: what is the sickness in their minds? For five years we have had a good working law against cruelty.

They still get to ride with the dogs, wear funny medieval costumes, leave Land Rovers and horse boxes blocking roads and private driveways. Incidentally, you never see the dogs on a lead when on the public highway. ASBO material!

Most activity is the same except for the cruelty aspect, and yet they still want the law repealed.

We must conclude that these people need the screaming, the mutilation and the blood to feel fulfilled, to have had a good day.

This savagery and desire to watch animals being tortured lingers on in some of us. Perhaps if we could eradicate this instinct, the world would be a little more peaceful.

Finally, the correspondent who criticised Mr Norris for turning up improperly dressed for ritual slaughter was hilarious, as anyone will know if they are unfortunate enough to come across a meeting of the "unspeakable". There you will see a row of rusting old cars and pick-ups, wheezing old Land Rovers covered in straw and many ragged old coats tied up with baler twine.

What hypocritical snobbery!

ALUN PERSON Green Street Ston Easton

This weekend marks the start of the hunting season, and what could possibly be the last opening whilst the Hunting Act is in force.

The reality is the Hunting Act is a bad law that has failed.

There have been just three successful prosecutions against hunts in the five years the act has been in force, despite the 1000s of hours of 'monitoring' by the League Against Cruel Sports and their associate organisations. Opinion polls conducted by independent organisations have consistently shown that fewer than three in 10 people think the Hunting Act is working.

The ban on hunting was driven by class politics and prejudice, not animal welfare or wildlife management, which is why the law is unworkable.

Repeal would be a public benefit; the act has wasted thousands of hours of police time. Police officers have been forced to spend hours investigating spurious allegations made by animal rights activists when they should have been tackling real crime. The courts have spent weeks wrestling with the law. One judge said the act "is far from simple to interpret or apply".

Millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been spent bringing in, enforcing and discussing the law. I am sure the general public will agree that the money wasted on enforcing a dreadful piece of legislation would be better off spent targeting majority issues, such as education, schooling, policing and the NHS.

This could be the last season under the ban. David Cameron has consistently repeated the commitment to a free vote on a Government bill in Government time to repeal the act. This was a manifesto commitment in 2005 and the Conservatives have confirmed it will be in the next manifesto. Whatever your views on hunting, it is vital that badly drafted laws do not remain on the Statute Book.

TIM BONNER Countryside Alliance