Letter: Stag-hunting ban: National Trust bullied by the animal rights puritans

Sir: Chasing red deer with hounds has been found to be probably cruel. Who'd have thought it? The next subject for these intrepid scientists to research should be the effect on small mammals and birds of the ghastly and protracted process of being caught, teased, tortured, and terminated by domestic cats. My own beloved moggie performs such atrocities daily.

There is an inconsistency when a nation of cat-lovers criticises a handful of huntsmen.

MELVIN GOLDSMITH

Purleigh, Essex