Letters objecting to a recent meet of the South Pembrokeshire Hunt in the centre of Tenby were received by the town council at their meeting this week.

A number of demonstrators greeted the Hunt when it rode into Tudor Square at the end of last month, with some of the protesters, who were from local branches of the League Against Cruel Sports and Animal Aid, holding up banners explaining the Hunt's desire to repeal the legislation outlawing blood sports, while the Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane, was also treated to repeated cries of 'shame on the Mayor' when she greeted Hunt members.

The matter was discussed by councillors at their meeting on Tuesday night when a number of letters were brought before them.

However, one from local animal welfare campaigner, Mr. Richard Tiller, who wished to make a formal complaint against the town council, was deferred after Deputy Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Julie Evans, who chaired the meeting in the Mayor's absence, suggested that the letter may need following up more thoroughly due to its content.

Councillors agreed to defer the letter and the town clerk proceeded to remove it from copies of the agenda that had been handed to the press.

Another letter on the subject from a Mr. Kelvin Thomas, of Summerhill, questioned the the cost of the clean-up operation in Tudor Square that followed the meet.

"I am very disappointed that Tenby Town Council is still in favour of this event which seems to suggest to the public that they would support a return of hunting with hounds," wrote Mr. Thomas.

"I would again suggest that it costs the town and the local tax payer in particular, more to clean the streets afterwards than money that the Hunt meet might bring to the town.

"I would be very interested to find out the cost to the taxpayer, especially in these difficult times when the council has had to cut costs in other areas," continued Mr. Thomas, who asked if the council thought it was a good idea to waste money in this way due to the poor publicity the town had received this year.

In response to the letter, Clr. Mrs. Tish Rossiter said that she was disappointed with Mr. Thomas's views that Tenby had received poor publicity over the year.

"Away from the Hunt, I didn't know we'd been receiving poor publicity this year," she remarked.

Clr. Mrs. Trisha Putwain, who herself had joined the demonstration in Tudor Square against the Hunt meet, once again asked the town clerk, Mr. Andrew Davies, if he could relay some information on who actually paid for the clean-up operation following the meet.

She also queried whether the Hunt was licensed to conduct a bucket collection in the Square during the meet, with the funds collected going towards the Hunt itself.

In response to the letters brought before them, Deputy Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Evans, explained that not all members of the council had been in favour of inviting the Hunt meets back into the town.

"It was a democratic vote when we decided if the Hunt should be welcomed back and the majority of councillors voted in favour, with most feeling that it would be a beneficial event to the town. Maybe the voting will change in future years," she said.