RE: Why were Animal Welfare unaware? (Oxford Mail, July 2): I read with interest Pamela St Clair’s letter with regard to the Russell family and their cruelty to animals, and firstly would like to point out to her that, out of the regular Speak protesters, there are only two who reside in the Oxford area, and nobody from Speak knew about the cruelty case to which she refers.

As Pamela St Clair dislikes animal cruelty, would it not have been prudent of her to stop by and inform the protesters that this case was imminent, thus giving them a chance to attend?

Speak protesters, (the average age is regularly more than 70 years of age), travel from all around the country giving up their Thursdays, and often extra days too.

I travel 110 miles, each and every Thursday, to get the message across that vivisection is outdated, unethical, unreliable and unbelievably cruel.

Do you think that we enjoy ourselves, standing there in minus degree temperatures, hot aches in our hands and feet, in raging winds and blinding rain? It is called dedication. We have lost count of the people who have congratulated us and said “thank goodness you are still here”, and we shall continue to be there in all weathers until Oxford University moves into the 21st century and uses scientific methods instead of mutilating defenceless animals.

SHEILA ENGLISH, Jacks Lane, Turvey, Bedford