On July 10 more than 100,000 people from all walks of life including prominent politicians and conservationists gathered in Hyde Park to protest against the Private Members Bill introduced to Parliament to outlaw hunting with hounds.

The sheer scale of the rally and the strength of feeling shown has persuaded the Government not to allow the Bill extra parliamentary time, effectually condemning it to failure.

In contrast a recent counter-rally was organised by the national Anti-Hunt campaign and attended by a reported figure of about 2,500 animal rights demonstrators - a mere fraction of the numbers claimed by Peter Ward (letters August 28).

The abject failure of the anti-hunting lobby to match the countryside rally clearly exposes them to be nothing but a tiny but vociferous minority hell bent on imposing their views on everyone else.

N Martindale,

Manor Avenue,

Slyne.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.