IS James Barrington trying to convince the public that the country wants — no, needs — to return to the days of legal hunting, Hunt debate needs evidence not hearsay, Points of view, May 15.

Does he not realise that most of the public do not want to legalise a small minority of the population getting enjoyment from killing our wildlife?

These attempts to gain public approval for what is a gruesome and unnecessary pastime is disgraceful.

Once legal, the hunts will continue to hide their activities from the public, knowing how unpalatable most people would find the real reality of hunting.

This is very similar to the way MPs tried to convince the public of the need to keep their expenses secret, knowing that if people learned the truth they would find it despicable.

Well, Mr Barrington, the public are fast becoming smarter and do not want to turn the clock back to the 'old days' when they thought that if they didn't know what was going on it must be all right.

It is time to look and move forwards, not backwards!

Mrs Y Street

Okehampton

(by email)