AS usual, Jon Burgess sidesteps and ignores the main issue of hare coursing regarding the sheer brutality and cruelty meted out to these beautiful, timid creatures.

The incident I mentioned, to which he so scathingly refers, was seen by the whole country.

They saw that distressed animal being used as a "tug-of-war" by dogs. Anyone with any commonsense would be able to work out what was going to happen to that animal.

This was the graphic picture shown in Mike Pryce's recent article, which vividly displayed the inevitable fate of the hare, desperately fighting for its life.

Mr Burgess makes much of the conservation ploy, but also grudgingly admits that hares are conserved so that wagers can be laid as to the outcome of encounters with dogs.

I wonder how many more animals were killed at the Waterloo Cup coursing event and how much money changed hands?

It is no use trying to sanitise the event, it is done for entertainment. I cannot understand how anyone can take pleasure in seeing an animal killed for fun.

MRS MARION J LARGE,

Lower Wick,

Worcester.