SIR — Unfortunately, our so-called “lovely” village has quite a few residents who think it perfectly acceptable to shoot pheasants every Saturday, some even taking along their children. They shoot so close to my house that I have lead shot falling around me in the garden.

It is beyond belief that these people take part in an activity that causes such pain and suffering to animals that have no defence. Some birds are killed instantly but those that aren;t are left in pain and may not be retrieved by the dogs.

Pheasants cannot be considered vermin, which is the usual justification for shooting. Hence, it has to be pure enjoyment that they seek. To me, that is quite alien and really difficult to understand.

I wish these people could take could take time out to study the lives of the creatures they shoot. They might not see them as inanimate objects available for their pleasure.

Surely this behaviour belongs in the Dark Ages. We are supposed to be a civilised society, educated sufficiently well to have a greater regard for human and animal life.

Shooting is just another form of abuse inflicted upon animals. Little thought is given to the fact that we owe our success to animals in that we use them for food, experiment on them for medical science and most of the products used by us, entertainment, clothing and in many other ways.

We also increasingly are removing their habitat, which causes them many problems.

Amazingly, we would not have won World War One without the use of horses, so isn’t it about time we showed more compassion and respect for animals and less abuse?

The League Against Cruel Sports says that 80 per cent of people in this country do not approve of blood sports so, thankfully, those who do shoot, hunt etc are in a minority and disapproved of by a huge majority.

Doesn’t that tell them something, or is the primitive instinct so strong they can’t resist?

Name supplied,

Withycombe.