ANIMAL Aid’s most recent investigation into game bird rearing – that’s grouse, pheasant and partridge – included revisiting farms where it had previously seen cruelty and neglect and breaches of animal welfare laws.

This was, of course, reported to the relevant authorities.

Their latest visit again found breaches, indicating that nothing but a complete ban would make any difference.

The organisation revealed some stressed and injured birds were sharing cages with the decaying corpses of other birds , which appeared to have being dead for some time.

An investigation estimated some 50m birds are produced for the shooting industry each year – most will have been reared intensively.

They are in wire cages, no shelter or enrichment, until they are released into the countryside. You may have come across them standing bewildered in the middle of a road not knowing what to do or where to hide. In Devon and Somerset, prior to the shooting season, dead birds litter the roads for mile after mile.

There is a petition – animalaid.org.uk/go/cages – on the charity’s website for people to sign. Even if you are in favour of shooting, surely the birds deserve some consideration in their short lives.

Marjorie Embling, Crook