WELL – shock, horror – it appears that our oh-so-animal-friendly Prime Minister is minded to amend (in other words, repeal) the Hunting Act it order to permit hounds to persuade foxes to please leave alone dead or dying lambs which have been forsaken by their mothers – though normally ewes are very protective of their young and will easily scare off any fox venturing too close.

But, ho hum, what better excuse could any red-blooded hunter wish for than claiming compassion for non-humans that share this human-centric world?

“Sorry, God, it isn’t our fault that hounds have developed this compulsion to chase and chase and eventually, after a very long and a very jolly run, to actually overwhelm and disembowel the exhausted fox – that must be, um, maybe, a design fault.”

With power comes responsibility, surely. “Ah well,” they’ll say, “we are acting responsibly by controlling the naughty foxes and we are giving the hounds some jolly good exercise while exercising our rights to gallop over the countryside in the manner we enjoyed prior to the passing of that stupid Act.”

Power corrupts – how very, very true.

BEA BRADLEY

Cuxham Road

Watlington