SHAME on the Vale MPs who were prepared to back the government in a scrapped vote on watering down the hunting ban (MPs were set to back hunting, Journal, July 16).

In addition to the horrific cruelty caused to foxes, the case against foxhunting has been made even stronger by recent revelations in a national daily newspaper that thousands of healthy foxhounds, including pups, are clubbed to death or shot every year, if they are "unsuitable".

This is even more evidence that the Hunting Act should not be weakened, but made stronger so that hunts are not permitted to operate at all.

Ronald Lee

Worcestershire Vegans and Veggies