Ignorance underpins Labour’s hunting policy

sir – It saddened me that Steve Reed, the shadow environment secretary, appeared to be so poorly briefed that he confused drag hunting with trail hunting when he spoke of loopholes in the Hunting Act (report, February 20).

Might I refer him and his advisers to a very good article produced by the League Against Cruel Sports (easily found online), which explains the distinctions between the two? Indeed, the league is an advocate of drag hunting as a replacement for fox and trail hunting, and the article makes clear the lengths to which drag hunts go to prevent either wildlife or domestic animals, such as cats, coming to any harm. The league states that drag hunting is “not to be confused with trail hunting, which is a very different thing”.

I hope the Labour Party will consider this before it makes the mistake of banning drag hunting through ignorance. Mary Hudson

Langholm, Dumfriesshire sir – I invite Steve Reed to do two things. First, provide hard evidence to support his notion that rural communities want a complete ban on hunting with hounds.

Secondly, if that is provided, give his assurance that he will personally organise and oversee the euthanasia of the hounds – and probably many of the horses – in hunting yards.

This is the reality of Labour’s plan. Hounds are not pets; they cannot be homed. There is a clue in the description of a horse as a hunter. If Mr Reed doesn’t have the stomach for this, perhaps he should reconsider. Tim Wright

Rampisham, Dorset

sir – Without getting involved in whether it is better or worse for foxes, for me the problem with fox hunting is how distasteful it is for people to want to kill things for fun. It has little to do with vermin control. Robert Pugh

Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire