LEAD, THE IRONY

It seems that even California, which has banned lead alloy bullets for cartridge-loaded firearms, allows the continued use of lead-alloy air-rifle pellets.

Many years ago, I spoke to Dr Colin Shedden of BASC at a game fair in Scotland and he told me that lead-alloy air-rifle pellets were not a problem because waders, ducks and geese only picked up round pellets that they mistook for seeds. He added that, at that time, 2007, only one bird found had died of lead ingestion in the previous 10 years. That incident was after a very dry period when a pond had dried up and exposed lead shot. This lead was on an area that had been used by wildfowlers for 200 years. The usual deep water prevented the well-preserved ancient lead shot from being a problem at all.

We really need more facts before we destroy another aspect of shooting for the sake of political correctness. The country voted to leave the EU democratically, so we are not bound nor hampered by their rules on this occasion. Lead alloy is humane; iron alloy is not. Roderick Mccafferty, by email

‘‘The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please. We have it in trust. We must account for it to those who come after.’’ King George VI