I WRITE in response to the letter by M Wheeler of Kingswood regarding the hunting ban and debate.

I am pleased that at last someone has come forward with this, before I did. As most readers will know I was one of the original campaigners in getting hunting with dogs stopped and have written many articles and letters about it, over many years.

The worrying thing is that although nine out of ten people support the ban, this will not matter one bit – the likes of us will have no real say in it.

If senior politicians want it repealed then I have no doubt that in due course it will; as long as the Royal family and the likes of David Cameron are in favour of it, and we know they are, I am afraid that our views will not matter.

We also have to remember that some hunts have never adhered to the ban any way, and have continued to hunt foxes and stags etc, yet the authorities and police have ignored it. I have raised this many times with relevant people but not surprisingly never received any replies. They are allowed to continue breaking the law and I would like to know why they are allowed to do so.

I take this opportunity to repeat as I have said many times over many years, the hunting of stags, foxes, hares with hounds is a barbaric and bloodthirsty activity, it is no way a sport as it is portrayed to be by those mindless people that participate in it. I have witnessed hunting of all kinds and it is sickening, I have been threatened and attacked by the hunt fraternity, who are no more that thugs on horse back.

I was actually told by one senior huntsman that they make the laws for people like me to obey!

I could tell many stories saying what I have witnessed in regard to their cruelty towards God's creatures, and as I have said many times I will continue to campaign until this so-called "sport" is eradicated once and for all. I also encourage those that seem to just sit on the fence with this to actually go to a hunt and see for themselves. I also encourage people to read a book by Ian Pedler called Save Our Stags, the illustrations alone say it all.

I applaud M Wheeler's letter and can only hope that it encourages others to stand up and be counted, let's not just make ourselves heard but let us fight to ban all hunting with hounds once and for all, no matter what it takes!

Clive Heath.