THERE are continual claims in your paper by people who are anti-hunting, that the majority of the population agrees with their views.

Presumably this is because the majority who vote in the House of Commons are also anti-hunting. This is how democracy is supposed to work effectively, if not fairly. No one has asked for my views on this matter, nor those of any of my friends or acquaintances. This can only be accurately achieved by holding a referendum on the issue. So will these anti-hunt people please desist from repeating their false claims?

As I have mentioned previously, hunting with hounds is merely replacing now non-existent predators in such a way to control pests and to maintain a healthy population of these wild animals which do such damage.

This brings me to make another point. As a majority in Parliament consider that the culling of wild animals is cruel, then the frightening conclusion can only be that our masters are ignoramuses who do not understand that culling of wild animals is occurring, and has occurred, for millions of years every minute of every day, although the general public are unaware of it.

If this had not occurred and did not occur most wildlife would cease to exist.

Politicians have often proclaimed "Education, education, education". They would point out that the millions of pounds of taxpayers' money invested in education is proving a success as there are now too many students for the number of places available in our universities.

I attended one of the best schools in Exeter, but was taught absolutely nothing about the animal kingdom. Therefore the syllabuses/curriculum in schools must be questioned. It certainly can be when I read of a boy who thought Winston Churchill was a general at the Battle of Hastings, but that is history.

If, and it is a big if, the majority view is that culling of wild animals is cruel then there must be something radically wrong with the teaching of our children.

A case of the blind leading the blind? My limited knowledge of the subject has been gained by reading and watching wildlife programmes on the television. So can my views be erroneous?

M Lewis

Rackenford

near Tiverton.

(by email)