I CAN'T quite believe that Colin Richey has put himself in the firing line yet again over the hunting issue, Let's just accept our difference in opinion, Points of view, March 13.

Mr Richey's original letter on the subject, Daft hunting act must be repealed, Echo, March 7, was so comprehensively shot down in flames by numerous correspondents in the days that followed that I thought he must surely keep his head down for a while.

Not so, for back he comes, albeit somewhat abashed but still trying to cling to some vestige of his original arguments. For goodness sake, Mr Richey, you must be a glutton for punishment.

You do seem now to have given up on all your previous ill-informed comments on hunting but say that you stand by your previous remarks that the police 'have more pressing duties than worrying about hunting.'

If you recall, which clearly you don't, you actually stated in your letter of March 7 that: 'our over-stretched police forces have a lot more on their plate — like terrorism, murder and rape' — than to ensure that hunting is practised legally.

Do you for one micro-second imagine that any police force in the country is going to pull officers away from serious criminal investigations in order to go out and police hunts? Of course they aren't — don't be so ridiculous.

This time, sit down with a cup of tea and have a little think about what you are saying before you commit pen to paper.

You have at least recognised that hunting is an emotive issue. By golly it is, and if you are going to spout opinions on the subject, based in your case, it seems, on a woefully shaky understanding of the complexities of the debate, then you can expect again the kind of mauling you received in these pages.

Dr John P Salvatore

Tower House, Clyst Heath

Exeter

(by email)