Hunt to protect hens

SIR – We live in a tiny hamlet in North Yorkshire, and the Zetland Hunt kennels are in the next village.

Since the hunting ban (Letters, June 2), they have been seriously restricted in their ability to keep the area free of foxes. If anyone is in doubt about the wisdom of lifting the ban, perhaps they would like to see the devastation which we found after a fox or foxes had reduced our flock of three ducks and 11 hens to two ducks and three hens. They broke open the hen house and dragged a number off.

Over the next three days, others died from shock. The duck we lost was our eldest, and it succumbed to stress. The three remaining hens have not laid an egg since. Polly Ohr

Stanwick St John, North Yorkshire