So the ban for hunting the fox with dogs has finally become law.

But let us just recap where we were and where we are now.

A few months ago we were told that if the law was passed there would be thousands of people out of work, mass destruction of the hounds and the farmers would not have an outlet for their dead carcasses.

On Saturday, the hunt was out in full force and I believe some of them were scent-following. For the past weeks huntsmen have been attempting to distil the scent of a fox for the hounds to follow.

Various methods were tried, ranging from using a chemical called oil of rodium, putting fox carcasses in a container of water and allowing them to putrefy and dragging a dead fox on a rope across the fields. None of these were successful, but mixing the putrefied water from the container the dead foxes were in with urine, which I might add was obtained by opening the bladder of a fox, had some success. The hounds followed this vile mixture.

And finally we come to policing these avowed law breakers, and some of them have publicly stated they will be. It is going to be a difficult situation for our police, especially as the huntsmen have so many sympathisers.

But where were all the sympathisers in the 1980s when the miners were on strike?

After all, they were only trying to protect their jobs and their way of life the same as the hunt, but we managed to find enough police then!

DEREK BENFIELD

Hawkswood

Covingham Park

Swindon