Letter: Of pigs and foxes

Sir: I was astounded by your leading article on the hypocrisy of banning fox hunting, arguing that the Government should be tackling the "animal abuses" carried out in the name of scientific research instead of undermining the rights of those who choose to hunt with dogs.

I, Sir, will defend the rights of the people of this country whose health and wellbeing absolutely depend on regulated animal experimentation. To denigrate such an important debate to a throwaway line in the comparatively trivial issue of hunting is deceitful, sanctimonious and, dare I say it, hypocritical.

DERMOT McGINNITY

Loughborough, Leicestershire