YOUR piece of propaganda promoting fox hunting (Oxford Mail, December 27) was disingenuous in suggesting that the Hunting Act is controversial, given that, according to the most recent opinion poll, the ban is supported by 85 per cent of the British public, including the majority of rural residents.

Although all classes participate in hunting, this is still a class issue, and hunt criminals should be treated no differently from those involved in the purely working class ‘sports’ of dog fighting and badger baiting.

Predictably, there was no mention of the fact that the Heythrop Hunt was successfully prosecuted by the RSPCA and, in the opinion of many, should have been disbanded years ago.

Since the CPS has long ago been instructed to avoid prosecuting hunts, the only recourse for any form of justice is the RSPCA, which incurred enormous expense in this case. Few people are naïve enough to believe that so-called ‘trail hunting’ is anything more than a convenient alibi for pursuing foxes as usual.

The use of fox urine is a clear incitement to foxes to pursue hounds, and hunts could be prosecuted on that basis alone. However, even those who are indifferent to the plight of wildlife being torn to pieces, might at least have some sympathy for the 10,000 hounds which receive a bullet in the head every year for their services, when they are about five or six years old and can no longer keep up with the pack.

MARK PRITCHARD

Linkside Avenue, Oxford