Hunting and cruelty

SIR – I broadly concur with Lord Mancroft (“Failure to support hunting loses the rural vote”, Letters, January 2). When hunting with hounds was legal, the fox was either killed outright or escaped. Attempts to control the fox population through shooting can mean that the fox takes days to die.

The hunting ban was a retrogressive step. The Labour government would have served genuine animal welfare far better by legislating to ensure all cattle for slaughter are pre-stunned. John Barstow

Pulborough, West Sussex

SIR – The fact is that the legal hunting regime seems to be drawing more and more people to meets year by year.

Surely part of the reason for this rise in attendees is that, since 2004, they know that law-abiding hunts will not intentionally kill a fox. Isn’t it better to leave the law as it is, and devote parliamentary time to other things? David Harris

London SW13