CHRISTOPHER Marles, of the East Devon Hunt, was sent to prison on Friday for causing actual bodily harm to one monitor and for assaulting a second.

Why, after the first very serious incident, did the East Devon Hunt continue to use the services of this man?

Perhaps the answer was provided by a former master of the hunt, Raymond Burrough (now deceased).

In 2005, immediately after the first incident, I spoke to Mr Burrough and asked if the hunt would now dispense with the services of Marles. His laughing reply was: "No, he's very good with the antis."

Y NICOLA ADDRESS SUPPLIED