Letter: Suspend all culls

YOUR story on the failure of the £1.3 million hedgehog cull in the Western Isles to achieve its aims must be an embarrassment to Scottish Natural Heritage and those who backed the cull (News, 20 February). Instead of throwing another £1m into a study to discover where they went wrong on the hedgehogs, it might be better if SNH stopped their ongoing grey squirrel and deer culls and did some more research into whether or not these culls are a sensible use of scarce public funds.

Orphaned baby deer and squirrels can be left to starve to death during culls. I have great doubts as to the necessity and efficiency of these culls, and given the public expenditure and cruelty involved, it would make great sense to suspend them now and do some more groundwork to properly evaluate them.

John F Robins, Animal Concern, Dumbarton