I AGREE with Penny Little, Hunting is neither prompt nor humane, Letters, January 16.

There is a strong case for strengthening the Hunting Act by incorporating a recklessness clause, but I do not think it is necessary to rely exclusively on this legislation to bring an end to the brutal sport of killing deer, foxes and hares for fun.

Last October East Devon District Council made a Dog Control Order limiting the number of dogs a person may take onto land to six. Despite this, I see that on January 2 the Echo published a photograph of the East Devon Hunt, meeting at Ottery St Mary on News Year's Day, showing about 10 hounds on the road.

This is, to my way of thinking, a clear contravention of the order. These packs of former fox hunting hounds no longer have a legal right to be on the Queen's Highway. I appeal to residents of East Devon to request their councillors to call on the district council to take all necessary measures to ensure that the control order is obeyed by the hunts.

Many readers will be aware that The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 grants authority to district councils in England to make Dog Control Orders, but I do not think it is generally known that the Act also confers such authority upon parish councils.

Perhaps the good people of East Devon could have a word with their parish councillors about this matter — it appears to me that they have the power to end the sport regardless of the views of members of Parliament and the hunting fraternity who are agitating for repeal the Hunting Act.

John Phelps

Argyll Road, Exeter