REBECCA Richards-Mole (Letters, March 14) has unwittingly highlighted the issue that is at the very heart of the hunting debate, that of freedom of choice.

All hunting is carried out with the permission of the landowner and farmer. As a 'gentleman farmer' (her words, not mine) John Burnett MP is fully entitled not to allow hunting on his land whilst defending the right of others to make their own decision.

Furthermore, the Burns Report quoted by Ms Richard-Mole, concluded that fox hunting was at least as humane as any other method of control and entailed no unnecessary suffering. The dispersal of foxes by hunting is as important as the numbers killed in managing the population. Furthermore, the mortality inflicted on foxes by hounds on Dartmoor would be substantially higher than elsewhere, as there is no other practicable method of control.

Public access, difficult terrain and abundant cover make shooting impossible, whilst snares require well used runs and regular checking.

Ms Rebecca Richards-Mole wishes to live in a civilised society. Surely the test of a democracy is how it treats its minorities and a civilised society tolerates people holding opposing views on moral issues without criminalising them except in circumstances where their actions have a deleterious effect on other members of society.

Guy Morlock MFH

Spooner's and West Dartmoor Foxhounds

IN reply to the letter from the Labour Party chairman Rebecca Richards-Mole, why is it that the only time we hear from the Labour Party in West Devon is when fox hunting appears?

Does Ms Richard-Mole think there is nothing more important in the minds of West Devonians? How interesting it would be to hear her defend the massive rise in council tax and why teachers, police and health workers are utterly fed up with the way they have been treated by this Government.

Here in Devon, the per-capita funding for all Government service is £126 per person below the national average. Why do we get such a raw deal, Ms Richards-Mole?

Fox hunting is a smokescreen, intended to draw attention away from the lies, scandal and sleaze of an inefficient Labour Government that promises the earth and delivers little. Sadly, there is no effective local opposition to any of this from the Liberal Democrats, who are more interested in attacking Tories than the Labour Government.

It is time the Government did something meaningful and positive to help the countryside recover. Banning fox hunting may cheer up Labour activists like Ms Richards-Mole, but will do nothing to help hard-pressed local communities.

James McInnes, Association chairman

West Devon and

Torridge Conservatives

MAY I suggest to Rebecca Richards-Mole that if she really wants a civilised country to live in she could try pressurising her government to banish crime from the streets of our towns and cities rather than urging her MP to vote to ban hunting the fox, which is a perfectly natural way to improve the strain. The fittest and strongest are rarely caught but survive in order to breed.

Hunting is already rigidly controlled and never takes place during the time the vixen is feeding her cubs.

Barbara Atherton

Springfield Park

Bridestowe