REGARDING 'There are more important things than repealing hunting ban' (HE, November 18), the sight of dyed-in-the-wool Tory Marcus Woods pontificating on the merits of the hunting ban could be quite amusing if it wasn't so pathetic.

The various statements on the hunting ban remaining on the statute book is highly likely to make him extremely unpopular with not only the hunting fraternity in the shires, but also the Country Alliance, which he does at his peril.

Should the Tories succeed in forming the next government, the pressure to repeal the ban both inside and outside Parliament will be such, that it won't be so much as hunting in the woods but 'hunting the Wood'.

The prospect of the repeal of a law which protects a small animal, the red fox, not much larger than a large cat, from 40 or more hunting dogs, with the savage ending, in which the poor fox is literally ripped to shreds is not a desirable prospect for our largest native predator.

It is true that the fox can be a menace, particularly the urban fox, but whose fault is that?

Repealing the fox hunting act brings into focus the hunting of the magnificent stag — after an exhausting chase, in extreme distress, the 'civilised' stag hunters cut its throat, so it bleeds to death, and this is the 21st century.

The hunting or coursing the hare is no less savaged.

Should Labour win the General Election, the government will be lobbied to 'clean up' the abuses in which fox hunters get around the act, and to lobby the government to ban all hunting by dogs whatever the prey.

It is of manifest puzzlement why in this sophisticated day and age, this computerised society, certain sections of the population still get their kicks by hunting to death our indigenous wildlife.

If they need to satisfy their deep seated desires to hunt something to death for 'sport', why not do it 'online'? It is cleaner, less painful, costs far less, saves our wildlife and reduces their carbon footprint.

After all they can still wear their funny clothes to give themselves the same old kick!

The same old adage still very much applies to fox hunting: 'the pursuit of the uneatable by the unspeakable'

BARRY KAYE

Press officer, Newton Abbot Labour Party