THERE is a great deal of misunderstanding and misinformation about the purpose and use of artificial earths (Evening Press, January 27).

Animal rights groups often claim, falsely, that by using them hunts are "breeding foxes". Anyone with the slightest understanding of the natural world will realise that you cannot breed animals that are living in the wild.

The majority of artificial earths were built many years ago. Their purpose is to make it simpler to find the existing fox population in places where they can be hunted safely and successfully.

Where there is an absence of natural cover, artificials provide dry shelter for a fox. This encourages them not to lie up in places where it is difficult or imprudent to find them on hunting days, such as in land drains, garden sheds or other outhouses on the edge of villages or towns.

It also discourages them from lying up in and around farmyards, often close to vulnerable livestock.

In short these earths exist to help manage the fox population, not the reverse as implied by RSPCA employee Paul Stilgoe.

One has to ask if it is appropriate to publicise footage that appears to have been obtained by trespass on private land and that may or may not be genuine, which has dredged up a tired and false allegation against hunting.

John R Haigh,

Area Public Relations Officer,

Countryside Alliance,

Front Street,

Northallerton Road,

Thirsk.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.