Several readers have written to protest at our use of a picture on the front page of the evening edition on Tuesday of a horse carcass dumped in Brighton by pro-hunt supporters.

Let me say at the outset we did not intend to offend anyone and I am sorry to those we did, especially readers with children and indeed younger readers themselves.

However, the dumping of the horse's and several calves' bodies was local and national news which The Argus had a duty to report.

Freedom of expression is a principle of a democracy. Should we not teach our children of its importance rather than censor their news and let them find out for themselves what an unpleasant place the world can be?

As to taste, the headline "Sickening" gave a strong indication of the nature of the news and The Argus's attitude towards it and judging by our sales on Tuesday evening there was a considerable appetite for it.

And finally - and perhaps most controversially - why is it okay to see pictures on our TV screens of African children literally starving to death, for violent computer games to be on sale to children in High Street stores and for some of the violence that passes for drama to be shown on the small screen, yet the newsworthy publication of a picture of a horse that has already been dead for some days be deemed offensive?

Is it only because it was on the front page or because it was a horse?

The fact is this was a highly significant event and deserved the serious but not sensational treatment it was given. Yes, it was shocking, but that is often the nature of news.

-As I say, I am sorry to anyone who took offence (including Peter Sherman, from Saltdean, and others who rang in rather than wrote). It was not and never would be our intention to create it.