JOSIE Nelson’s letter (April 3) clearly exposed the amoral exploitation and abuse of young lambs by the farming industry, including the heartless live export trade.

Those who care about the depravities of the international agricultural industry might like to sign the online petition requesting an end to the transport of live animals from the UK.

This trade causes immense suffering and is presently governed by EU law.

Animals are sent in stinking transporters across land and sea in all weathers, to countries as far afield as the Middle East, and British farmers even sent 16,000 sheep two years ago to have their throats cut at the Haj in Mecca.

The government should plan legislation to ban the export of live farm animals in favour of a carcass only trade and introduce this as soon as we leave the EU.

In this globalised society, the dietary tastes of all cultures must be catered for, so in due course, we will see horse meat on the menu, initially for French immigrants but extended to the general population, dog meat for Chinese immigrants, and whale and dolphin for the Japanese.

The swans are disappearing from our lakes and rivers – a free food source for East Europeans, while bush meat (including chimpanzee) is available in our inner cities for those of African descent, customs officials having been told to turn a blind eye to its illegal import.

We should not capitulate to the EU fanatics.

I am particularly concerned that if Spain takes over Gibraltar they will wipe out the Barbary Apes, since cruelty to animals is endemic in Spanish culture.

The Barbary Apes are the only wild monkeys in the whole of Europe, and they should be protected against the Spanish tradition of cruelty to animals that the EU is so keen to protect.

The EU held an exhibition promoting bullfighting at their Brussels headquarters, and the British taxpayer is still contributing to generous grants to Spanish farmers to rear bulls for the bullring.

This should cease immediately.

MARK PRITCHARD

Linkside Avenue, Oxford