I was sorry to read about the fate of Hobbit, Mrs Salmon's pet cat, killed by the Sinnington Hunt (Evening Press, December 28).

Hobbit unfortunately is just one of many pets to meet a similar fate during the hunting season.

As a member of the Labour Party I am bitterly disappointed that hunting has still not been banned.

Labour promised in its manifesto it would hold a free vote on the issue in Commons, this has been done and an overwhelming majority of MPs of all parties voted to ban hunting.

The Government then refused to give extra parliamentary time to Michael Foster's Private Members Bill so it fell by the wayside. The latest plan is to hold a referendum around the country, this would mean foxes could be legally torn to pieces in Yorkshire but not in Devon etc. This is just plain daft.

Until hunting is banned there will be other Hobbits needlessly killed or injured, not to mention the 16,000 fox cubs and foxes killed annually.

I urge Evening Press readers to keep on writing to their MPs until they have kept their election promise to ban this cruel 'sport' for all time.

Jenny Horner,

Avon Drive,

Huntington,

York.

...Trespass by hunts, pets chased and killed, sometimes in front of young children are not isolated incidents. This happens throughout the country. It happened to my Yorkshire Terrier, which luckily wasn't killed.

There is a new organisation, the Countryside Protection Group (Oakleigh House, Oaklea Court, Newbury, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4HZ, director Christopher Fairfax) which advises on this type of incident.

The Land Bridge Initiative guards against trespass and costly boundary disputes. Hunts would have to inform that body where and when they are to hunt and avoid trespass.

I do urge anyone who wants to avoid having hounds trespass on their land to phone 01747 826633/Fax 01747 826644.

Marjorie Embling,

Westgate,

Weardale,

Co Durham.

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