I FIND D Wardell's letter about hunting typical of the desperate attempts which the pro-hunting lobby are making to try to justify their barbaric pastime (March 3).

His point about it not being illegal to hunt with a hawk is entirely spurious because there are, to the best of my knowledge, no organised groups which habitually hunt wild animals on horseback using hawks.

If there were, then perhaps they should be legislated against as well. His point about dog-walkers is equally spurious.

Firstly, how many people go out walking with a hawk, and secondly, if people allow their dogs to run wild on a public footpath it is surely only right that action should be taken to stop this?

David Bryant,

Yarburgh Way, York.

Updated: 09:29 Monday, March 07, 2005