WITH reference to Mr M Phillips' letter What about animals not cute and fluffy, Points of view, April 23, if he is sincere in his hope that opponents of fox hunting are vegetarian, let me put his mind at rest.

I can't speak for them all, of course, only for myself and the people I know but we are all vegetarian and most are vegan.

We have a respect of all life — not only our own species.

Cute and fluffy has nothing to do with the case.

Farm animals kept in intensive conditions have a miserable life, and the thought of calves being taken away from their mothers and the male ones shot, so that humans can drink their milk, fills me with disgust.

People like Mr Phillips seem to take it for granted that wild animals — such as foxes — need to be culled or killed.

Nature will see to it that animals will breed to match the food supply.

All that people who keep domestic animals need to do is to protect them from predators. There are so many methods these days, electric fences etc that I am sure it can be done.

To go back to the subject of vegetarianism, the World Health Organisation and the British Medical Association agree that vegetarians are much less likely to contract degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease — a welcome bonus.

Joan Jones

Chudleigh Knighton

(by post)