When the Normans introduced the rabbit to Britain in the 12th century the animal was very much a luxury item and valued both for its fur and its flesh.

The warrens were carefully guarded and looked after by a worker called a warrener, hence the surname still in use today.

Each rabbit eats more than one pound (450 grams) of vegetation each day and hence is no friend of the farmer.

Just because they are a nuisance should not hide the fact that the rabbit has a fascinating life history.

For example they produce two types of droppings. The first lot are warmly deposited underground and are wet.

These still contain lots of goodness and so the rabbit eats them and so the food is processed not once but twice.

Those who keep pet rabbits should not worry about this, it is vital and essential to the well being of the animal.

The second pile of current like droppings and are dry and usually dumped above ground.

Rabbits do need to be controlled because too many in an area can spell disaster to the sheep farmer.

Rabbits crop the vegetation so close to the ground that natural regeneration is impossible and so valuable pasture becomes useless.

I do wish that myxomatosis had not been deliberately introduced from France. Rabbits die in the most cruel way.

By far the best method would have been to cull them properly and eat them!

I would welcome readers’ views on how best to cull rabbits in future.