I THOUGHT your Comment on the interview with the master of the Holcombe Harriers was hugely unfair (LET, January 16).

It is a shame that no one thought to ask Arnold Greenhalgh how he makes a living. He operates a boarding cattery and livery stables -- in other words, his professional life is devoted to caring for animals in one way or another.

I am in doubt that there was no glee in his voice when he replied that hounds might have to be put down in the event of a hunting ban. I've yet to meet a huntsman or hunt master who did other than care passionately about the welfare of their hounds.

Your assertion that there was some ploy involved doesn't bear scrutiny, either. After all, your newspaper sought out Mr Greenhalgh and not he who took the initiative by approaching you with a threat.

Had your Comment writer taken it upon themselves to look at the final report of the government's recent hunting inquiry he would have availed himself of the best information available on the suitability of formerly-working hounds as domestic pets, as well as the view of the drag hunting bodies that comparing drag hunting with live quarry hunting was not comparing like with like. To glibly tell hunters that they should switch to drag hunting is not unlike telling a soccer fan, or player, to switch to rugby.

I would, however, like to thank you for exposing the intentions of hunt saboteurs in the North West to turn their attention to the angling fraternity. There couldn't have been a better advertisement to encourage anglers to join the Countryside Alliance's "Liberty and Livelihood" march in London on March 18 in protest at the government's attempt to ban hunting.

DAVID STOCKER (Countryside Alliance public relations officer, NW England), Lancaster.