If I may, I would like to be given the opportunity to reply to the letter sent in by C Chillingworth. I would like to make it clear that I am an animal lover, I am vegetarian and I abhor the thought of any animal being killed for whatever reason.

Now on the subject of badgers killing hens, I am sorry to inform you C Chillingworth, but badgers do indeed kill hens if they get the chance, as I know through personal experience.

I have over the years kept hens. Where I kept them initially they fell prey to foxes. I learned the hard way and got an expert fencer in, who prevented further loss.

When I was forced to move my hens I asked the same person to do my fencing. Though there were no foxes in the area I knew there was a badger sett.

One very sad night the badgers ripped through the fencing and managed to kill several hens before their automatic door had shut them in for the night.

The following day I was able to follow a trail of feathers and partly eaten carcasses back to the sett.

The only way I can keep the badgers out is by having two electric fences running at all times, but even so some mornings I find huge holes where they have tried to get in. One night they did manage to get in, but the hens were already shut in for the night.

Badgers are very large and very powerful creatures and if the opportunity arrives they will attack most things for food. Several years ago whilst walking in the woods, one of my German shepherds was savagely attacked by a badger.

Trust me, once they find a source of food badgers are much more difficult to keep out than any fox.

P Watkins, Ludlow