Sir, In reply to an article in Mr. Meyrick Brown's column entitled 'A dog's breakfast' (Tenby Observer November 30), I take issue with the term 'extremists' used for hunt monitors. As for the 'animal rights activists and extremists intimidating the hunting community', it is the hunt supporters who have constantly used threats and bullying tactics and they are the ones who have consistently broken the law. At least 11 hunt supporters have been successfully prosecuted. The Hunting Act was not a 'spiteful piece of legislation'; it was brought in by a large majority of MPs who voiced the view of the public who hate the idea of animals such as deer, stag, fox and any other creature that gets in their way being chased to exhaustion and torn to pieces by hounds for entertainment. The Countryside Alliance was set up by the hunting lobby under the guise of protecting the countryside as quoted by Simon Hart as 'everything we feel passionate about.' The British public has consistently shown they are against hunting and I would urge anyone who suspects illegal hunting going on to contact the Police or the League Against Cruel Sports as soon as possible.
Kelvin Thomas, Stepaside, Narberth.