THE foot and mouth crisis has quite rightly overshadowed the passage of the Hunting Bill through Parliament, yet we have the hunting issue continuing to obsess individuals and MPs.

What the countryside needs now is assistance, support and guidance - not a deliberate kick in the teeth.

D Sheppard (Letters, April 12) is grossly mistaken in believing that a minority of farmers actively support hunting.

Farmers have given an overwhelming yes vote to hunting. According to Farmers' Weekly, 93 per cent of farmers support hunting and believe that it is a humane method of pest control.

The Government's own inquiry into hunting with dogs revealed that only 22 per cent of people in rural areas were in favour of a ban.

Furthermore, 23 regional media and telephone polls in the last few months have consistently shown a majority against a ban.

The wild accusations and myths peddled by the anti-hunting brigade are finally being exposed.

The drag-hunting argument has been laid to rest.

The Government's inquiry concluded that drag hunting, in its present form, is not a suitable alternative to quarry hunting. The Masters of Drag Hounds Association even say as much - and they of all people should know!

Drag hunting has been in existence for over 200 years, people have been as free to drag hunt as they have to quarry hunt. There is currently a demand ratio of 80:1 in favour of quarry hunting.

Hunting, as a method of pest control, is no less humane than any other legal method of control. Lord Burns, the chairman of the Governm-ent's inquiry into hunting said: "Naturally, people ask whether we (the committee) were implying that hunting is cruel ... the short answer to that is no."

Finally, the Countryside Alliance does not represent a politically correct, sanitised version of the countryside. We represent all its people, not a pick-and-mix list and we will continue to resist the perversity and prejudice of those MPs who wish to force their will on the countryside.

MISS N DRIVER

Worcestershire Countryside Alliance