SIR — My work necessitates being exposed to some horrific animal abuse and I see the effects of people that kill and maim just for fun or a laugh.

My home for the last 20 years was literally a haven for native wildlife, the owner proactively welcoming fauna that would naturally thrive in the local woods and copses.

Tragically, her death has resulted in a complete turnaround and now the area is violated with people looking to kill animals for a bit of entertainment.

Dressed in ridiculous tweedy clothing, they seem totally oblivious to the inappropriate and repulsive nature of their invasion of other people's and animals' peaceful homes.

Making primitive noises to terrify and harass birds to scare them from where they have felt safe, they start the dreadful process.

Perhaps they think these bids are wild and somehow fair game, but the reality is that many have known only kindness and gentle sounds from people as they share food with other birds in local gardens.

The rabble create a terrifying war zone where I feel like the birds - dashing around feeling very vulnerable when trying to get to my home past guns just yards from the lane to my house.

Control over the situation is not evident. Indeed, last winter as the battle raged outside, both electricity and a telephone lines went suddenly dead. The eventual repairers of both said that they had evidence that the damage to cables was done with shot and dead or injured birds landing across wires.

I have had shot raining down on me in my own garden. I reported this to the police but from what I saw this Saturday I still do not feel that the shoot is being run responsibly.

The disruption to the native wildlife that the whole package represents is bad enough, but it is monstrous of the gamekeeper to think that the havoc and noise he creates outside people's homes is in any way acceptable.

I've asked him politely not to shoot the area around my home but clearly that fell on deaf ears.

Were I to behave in the same anti-social way around the homes of these barbaric people but wearing normal clothes and swigging from a bottle instead of a hip flask, making the same amount of noise, can you imagine the reaction?

Throw a firearm into the equation, fired next to them as they try to get in an out of their homes as well, and I would be arrested.

There are so many clay shoots where they can spend their money and improve their skills. I expect they could still wear the same silly tweedy uniforms that they have spent a lot of money on.

The countryside isn't some sort of playground for sadists with more money than sense - it's where country people and real wildlife live!

Name and address supplied.