Regarding the letter from a local Justice of the Peace, D E Pateman relating to the shooting of wild birds, I was very surprised by his failure to address the main point of A Collins letter. The point which was made by A Collins was should a person hold

Regarding the letter from a local Justice of the Peace, D E Pateman relating to the shooting of wild birds, I was very surprised by his failure to address the main point of A Collins' letter.

The point which was made by A Collins was should a person hold a firearms certificate and not have 20/20 vision? Should they be allowed to fire indiscriminately? Isn't this a dangerous practice which needs addressing? After all, it has become apparent from letters to The Comet that this is not unusual and that some shooters have shot a dog out for a walk. How much longer before some innocent person is shot with the excuse being "I thought it was a fox". Why is it that all those favour of shooting completely ignore this point.

BRIAN THOMAS, Hitchin Road, Letchworth Garden City

* Regarding the recent letters about shooting, I am sure I speak for many when I say shooting like hunting should be banned.

I have been out for a quiet walk in the country with my children when birds of all description started falling from the sky, some just small blackbirds and some crows were left fluttering around half shot to die in agony. We were covered in the lead from the falling buckshot, my children were screaming and people out walking were forced to go home.

It is about time someone stood up to these bloodthirsty shooters who regard killing nature as a sport. Hunting banned, next shooting, that is the way to go.

KIRSTY SMART, Bedford Road, Hitchin

* I read your newspaper today (February 24) and was incensed by the letter from William Heal for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. He is somewhat disingenuous in his claim that "all the conservation work is carried out by the shooting community".

I am a regular volunteer who gives up his weekends on occasions to help the National Nature Reserve. I do not shoot birds and object at being included in this myth. It has been my experience that the only reason shooters maintain woods is for their own selfish pastime. Time and time again, I hear them making this claim that they are doing us all a favour by maintaining the woods. They are only using the woods for their own recreation and no one else's, so let us dismiss this myth.

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