Just a minority

The 530 vets in favour of hunting are only a tiny percentage of the 14,000 or so vets in the UK. Most vets (96pc) do not belong to this minority organisation which favours killing by hunting.

As a country dweller, I would like to refute some of the dubious arguments put forward to justify the cruel pastime of hunting. I observe wild animals at close hand and I'm convinced that they feel fear and pain in much the same way that we do.

To suggest that hunters are on some humane mercy-killing expedition will surely fool no-one. Most vets prefer to give genuine euthanasia - the humane kind which genuinely seeks to minimise pain and suffering.

N I FOSTER

Tockwith,

York.

Great vets

Sir, - Congratulations to the Vets for Hunting on a very realistic letter (D&S, Oct 31).

I would only like to add that as Mr Blair accepted two huge bribes of over £1,000,000 each at the beginning of this Government, his "hands are tied". One bribe, relating to tobacco advertising, he was forced by the public to give back, the other, re hunting with dogs, still stands

CATHERINE SCROPE

South Thorpe,

Wycliffe,

Barnard Castle.

Ripping idea?

Sir, - A suggestion for the hunting fraternity: enlist the help of the two vets who wrote in the D&S (Oct 31) that animals (who are sentient beings) do not feel pain and fear when they are hunted, concern, and torn to pieces; let them take the animals' place for just one hour.

So much better too for them to experience a small part of the agony the animals have to endure for the enjoyment of the hunters - they can then write their next book on their experiences.

MONA HUNT

Eastholme,

Nosterfield.

Hunting Bill

Sir, - What Mr Benn fails to mention (D&S letters, Nov 7) is that 80pc of Labour Party supporters in the House of Lords failed to support the Government Bill banning hunting with dogs. The party he supports may be dithering about how to reform the upper House, but it is no longer packed with hereditary peers and the Prime Minister has not been backward in putting in Labour placemen to fill the void. Mr Blair would be best placed to heed the "moderating influence of the House of Lords", as Mr Benn so rightly describes it, not ignore it.

RICHARD WELLS

East Witton,

Leyburn.

Out of order

Sir, - Hambleton District Council offends against data protection legislation?

Current planning policy guidance issued by central government to local planning authorities, like Hambleton District Council, is clear when it states that development without consent is not unlawful.

The guidance points out that the relevant legislation permits an application for planning consent to be granted in respect of a development that has been completed. I suspect that the many law-abiding people who live within the Hambleton District Council area who have been the subject of informal planning enforcement action by the council will be horrified, and insulted, to find that the council has created computer records in which they are described as "offenders".

Hambleton District Council argues that people who undertake developments without planning permission offend against planning legislation and their actions are unlawful.

The council supports its argument by citing the fact that unauthorised developments become lawful (established) for planning purposes after four years have elapsed and no enforcement action has been taken.

This argument has been rejected by the information commissioner in an assessment that Hambleton District Council's use of the word "offender" in its computerised planning enforcement system to describe a person responsible for an unauthorised development in respect of which the council has taken informal enforcement action is inaccurate and misleading and that it was a breach of the fourth principle of the Data Protection Act 1998.

On the basis of its own argument, the council can only accept that, because it has been found to be in breach of data protection legislation, its actions were unlawful and, therefore, the council can now quite properly be described as an "offender".

However, everyone will know that the council will not accept that this is the case and that it will resist doing anything to remedy its breach of the data protection legislation and the ongoing injustice.

Everyone will also know that the council will expect that the majority of the hundreds of people that it has described as "offenders" will accept, without question that, because the council says its description of his or her personal data is accurate, that the council has done nothing wrong; and those who don't will do nothing.

Is this another case of double standards in local government? Whether or not it is, so much for professionalism and respect for others in Hambleton District Council.

GEOFF GARBUTT

St Mary's Walk,

Thirsk.

No procedure

Sir, - I am in full agreement and sympathy with everything D F Severs (D&S, Oct 24) has to say about there being no real complaints procedures in local government, as I have gone through exactly the same experience in my home area of Gateshead, where there are all the alleged trappings of a procedure - not forgetting the more recent innovation of the so-called standards committee.

There is no redress against any alleged complaint in the procedure at chief executive level, in the ombudsman, or in one's MP, or in resource to solicitors.

All one ever gets back, if anything at all, after making a complaint, is meaningless evasion and platitudes with council officials at each stage supporting and backing one another.

R LEWIS

Dennison Crescent,

Birtley.

Customised

Sir, - I've just learnt from the latest edition of the Darlington Council magazine, The Town Crier, that 40 new littler bins are to be installed across the town.

These new bins, we're informed, will be "custom built to collect chewing gum and cigarette ends."

May I take this opportunity to thank the borough council for this move. My concern was that, with people fearing the new severe financial penalties for litter-dropping, there was no adequate place - other than the pavement - where they could extinguish cigarette ends safely.

So again, my thanks to the council. It's good to know that should I forget my portable ashtray, that there will be safe extinguishing places so provided.

BETHANY-MEGAN

ROBINSON

Middleton St George,

Darlington.