I READ your article headlined “Show bosses refuse to cancel hounds event”, with sadness (Echo, Aug 30).

I attended Wolsingham show and was disappointed. I enjoyed the show until I had to watch the Braes of Derwent Fox Hounds parading in the main ring. At one point children and families were invited to enter the ring to enjoy the dogs at close quarters.

Although the experience was enjoyed by all, it is not wise to allow any dog to lick your face, especially one’s mouth, and especially a child’s. These hunting hounds are big and it was inevitable because they were level with small children‘s faces.

If hunt dogs are fed on fallen stock, have the dead animals being tested to rule out TB or any other infectious disease? I would guess not.

Even badgers in cull areas are not checked after they have been killed to see if they are carriers of TB, so the public are in the dark on all fronts.

It is true that almost 100 hounds from the Kimblewick Hunt were culled because they had contracted TB after being fed meat from slaughtered farm animals. The hunt and Defra kept it quiet, which I think was very irresponsible.

TB can be spread when farm animals travel all over the country. Surely fox, stag or any hunting hound should be regularly tested for disease to be absolutely sure they are not carrying infections from farm to farm.

M Embling, Weardale