Columnist’s words on beavers are ill-advised

Sir, - I have become increasingly irritated by the nonsense spouted by your columnist Jim Crumley in his one-man quest against the Scottish rural population, particularly those employed in field sports and countryside management.

His piece on beavers recently really takes the biscuit.

The beaver population in Tayside is the result of deliberate and illegal releases.

It is quite wrong to give him space to laud and condone illegality of any sort.

Similarly, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Government should be investigating the illegal releases, and prosecuting those responsible for these acts.

It won’t take them long to find those responsible if they ask the residents of Alyth and Blairgowrie.

In the same investigations they could also investigate the illegal presence of a growing wild boar population, oddly in the same area.

I can do very little about the appalling stance of the Scottish Government and its advisors, apart from voting, but I can do something about your newspaper giving Jim Crumley space to advocate his bizarre illinformed nonsense culminating in applauding illegal behaviour.

The sad fact is that were it a gamekeeper suspected of committing these crimes, he could have expected to find dozens of policemen and animal charities in his yard at 5am one morning.

The Courier is not responsible for these illegal acts but it is quite wrong to permit a columnist to congratulate and promote illegality in this fashion. Gerard Watts. Persie Estate, Glenshee.