Wild accusations

It's a bit rich to pick out the decline in brown hare numbers and blame it all on a relatively small numbers of travelling people and their lurchers (your report, 1 April).

There is a drastic decline in the numbers of all kinds of birds and animals, such as lapwings and partridges which, like hares, live and raise their young out on open arable land.

That decline is closely related to the large increase in the numbers of predatory birds, especially buzzards.

Of course, the police quoted are only interested in the aspects of the decline which are attributable to crime. That is their job.

But surely the others interviewed could have given a more insightful and balanced assessment of the decline, rather than jumping on the bandwagon to heap the blame for a Scotland-wide problem on a small number of people on Tayside.

IRVINE INGLIS

Reston

Berwickshire