Gervase, shooting is often the only use the commuters/ green welly brigade have for the countryside. No, you can't save the countryside by turning it into an Archers theme park, with shoots and golf courses for the SUV mob. The only possible solution is through a reinvigoration of agriculture, the imposition on commuters of the real costs of their transport, and the reconstruction of a meaningful rural economy in which the inhabitants interact economically with each other, not via the mediation of Sainsbury's 20 miles away. The French realised that decades ago, that's why they are so keen on agricultural subsidies.

As for death sports generally, let's get this straight- civilised people don't kill things for fun. Remember, that's one of the "charges" made against the fox. Kill to eat if you must, kill to protect yourself, kill to maintain the balance of stocks, kill for hygiene.

Conceded that shooting at birds reared for the shoot is better than the usual Continental way of popping off at anything that moves. But if you like to play with things that go bang, shoot clay rhinos.