Letter: Hunting debate hit by class wars

I enjoy reading the Star's letters page for the diversity and topicality of the issues covered. It's good to hear a variety of opinions but I was saddened to notice that the anti-hunt chorus is back in good voice and still singing from the same tatty song-sheet.

Nick Adkin (Letters, February 28) regales us with a description of 'pink' coated, blood-lusting toffs chasing terrified foxes across the countryside for the pleasure of seeing them killed.

Now hold on, Nick, even when I used to hunt, pre-ban, people didn't chase foxes, hounds did. If they caught one, it was done so quickly and efficiently that few of the followers even noticed the fact. Allowing that the mounted followers are one of the hunt's main sources of income, I never heard anyone demanding their money back.

They were there for the pleasure of riding across country, being out in the open air and, for many, the joy of watching hounds work.

Few hunting people are upper-class and most have to work hard and look after their own horses in order to follow hounds.

Why does not the 'stigma' of wealth apply to millionaire footballers, even when they occasionally get too big for their boots?

The anti-hunters seem not to care at all about other types of fox control which can lead to wounding and a slow death.

A veneer of concern for wildlife helps conceal the real agenda which is one of sheer hatred for the people who go out hunting.

At least that has managed to survive and adapt to the 21st century, more than can be said for the old-time class warriors.

B Lewis

Shrewsbury