IF the hunts are finding it difficult to make ends meet and losing income from subscribers unable to keep up membership, why do they persist in training hounds for an activity that is illegal and socially unacceptable?

This August, 40 hounds attacked and killed a cat at Skeldon village, near Bakewell. The hunt officials did no more than to promise not to ride through the village again, and excused the incident as "young hounds hard to control".

If young hounds are hard to control they should definitely not be taken out in circumstances in which they are likely to become a danger to domestic animals or residents.

Hard to control terriers, Dobermanns, Rottweilers etc must, by law, be reasonably disciplined. Why should huntsmen, no longer allowed to send hounds after other animals, get off lightly?

Foxhounds do not hunt foxes if not taught to do so, and do not have to hunt to kill to enjoy a happy life. In the view of dog experts they can adapt well to domestic life with experienced owners and even take to collars and leads. If maintaining hunt employment and social life is important, drag hunting preserves this, using safe, predetermined lines of artificial scent.

Seventy-one per cent of residents support the Hunting Act and 30 people have been convicted under it – is it not time for the pro-hunt minority to respect the values and ethics of modern society?

Katherine Watson,

Rushton Drive,

Bramhall,

Stockport.