Sir,

I write with reference to Meyrick Brown's Straws in the Wind column of January 27, where your columnist contrasts the science of animal husbandry with Compassion in World Farming's supposedly uninformed campaign against long distance live animal transport.

Our campaign, which is calling for an end to live exports from this country and for all farm animals to be slaughtered as close as possible to the place where they are reared, is based on both sound science and evidence gathered from years of investigations. There is very strong evidence that demonstrates the terrible and wholly unnecessary suffering that farm animals go through when transported long distances only to be slaughtered when they reach their destination.

Around 80,000 sheep and calves were transported from this country to the continent through Ramsgate, Kent, last year, some on journeys as far as from Cockermouth in Cumbria to Spain. These journeys must be replaced with a trade in meat.

As well as campaigning against live exports, Compassion also set-up the Beyond Calf Exports Stakeholders Forum, which aims to reduce the number of calves killed on the farm immediately after birth and those exported to be raised as veal on the continent in conditions that would be illegal in this country. The forum has resulted in many more calves being raised in the UK either for higher welfare veal or for beef, thus sparing them the horrors of live export.

As to Mr. Brown's insulting claim that Joanna Lumley, who has been a patron of Compassion for decades, is involved in the campaign for 'self-publicity', she is an extremely successful actress who does not need to be involved with us to gain press attention, but she is committed to ending the suffering of farm animals and gives her time generously and free of charge.

We were delighted to have won the CBS Big Bus Challenge, which gave us £200,000-worth of free bus advertising, and I'm glad that it piqued Mr. Brown's interest, but perhaps he should look more closely at the details of what we are trying to achieve before making such crass generalisations?

Joyce D'Silva,

Director of public affairs, Compassion in

World Farming.