WE read that an innocent member of the public is seriously wounded by an expanding bullet fired from a high velocity rifle during fox "lamping" operations and is lucky to have escaped with his life. ("Hunter cleared of night-time assault" September 1 )

Lamping is the Government's 'preferred method' of fox control.

The one which, we are assured involves the least adverse welfare consequences for the fox and which they confidently expect to take up the slack in the event of a ban on hunting with hounds.

Should they not be showing just a little more concern for the welfare of people?

It would be poetic justice indeed if the inevitable next such accident were to involve a DEFRA minister putting out the milk bottles whilst weekending at his/her second home in the countryside.

'Hunting for Tolerance' (HFT) is a campaign group dedicated to disseminating factual information about hunting with hounds and countering the misunderstanding, misinformation, prejudice and intolerance to which hunting is persistently subjected.

The work of HFT is intended to complement that of other rural, farming, animal welfare and civil liberties groups.

The HFT web site at: http://www.huntfacts.com/ currently logs around 10,000 visitors/users per month and is a rich source of archive material on the politics of hunting.

Peter Presland Secretary Hunting for Tolerance Frederick Street Birmingham