Cruel to be kind

The silly lawyer who found a fox trapped in the protective mesh for his chickens and bashed it with a baseball bat (Mail) made a mistake by publicising this on social media.

Many of us in the countryside have had to dispatch animals quickly and painlessly. When I found a grey squirrel caught by the neck in a rat trap, to end its suffering I gave it a quick ending with a sharp blow to the head with a hammer.

A friend recently had her old cat put down by a local vet and was charged £160.50. Country folk do not need the intervention of the RSPCA or a vet to dispatch sickly creatures. We are able to relieve the suffering of the creatures we love.

TREVOR MURDIN, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. The time has come to give wildlife protection. A fox only acts on its instincts, killing its prey for its survival and that of its young. It never knows where or when its next meal will come from. Its tough existence deserves our respect.

JANET CUMMINGS, Rugby, Warks.