Just a few short months ago, we were being assailed daily with pictures of tearful farmers mourning the loss of their culled animals and with reports that the countryside was facing annihilation.

News that the "sport" of hunting with hounds is likely to be allowed to resume shortly comes on top of reports that sheep farmers in Cumbria are not only anxious to restock their fields but are also frantically spending their fat compensation cheques on acquiring even more land on which to expand their flocks and businesses.

While hundreds of people in the tourist industry have lost their jobs or their livelihoods because of foot-and-mouth restrictions, it seems it is now business as usual for those who were most vociferous in seeking our sympathy and financial help during the foot-and-mouth fiasco.

I am glad I made no contribution to so-called farmers' hardship appeals.

-Peter Allen, Chute Avenue, Worthing