Like me, the vast majority of people in Scotland support a ban on snares. An opinion poll has shown that only 19 per cent of people were aware that snares were still legal, most presuming they had already been banned, and 75 per cent of people think they should be banned.

Snares are a primitive means of 'pest' control used on some farms and sporting estates in Scotland. Consisting of a thin wire noose, they are both cruel and indiscriminate traps. They are set to catch so-called pests such as foxes and rabbits but in reality any animal is at risk from getting caught in a snare, including protected animals such as badgers, otters and mountain hares, other wild animals such as deer, farmed animals and domestic cats and dogs.

Although designed to immobilise their targets, snares can inflict horrendous injury and in many cases cause a painful and lingering death. Many thousands of animals will be caught in snares in Scotland each year.

Nothing other than a complete ban will stop untold and unnecessary suffering. It is absolutely essential that our political representatives get the message that most Scots support a ban on snares.

I urge readers to visit www.bansnares.com where they can easily support the campaign by Advocates for Animals and the League Against Cruel Sports to achieve a ban on snares in Scotland.

Andrea Wright, Wester Moy Farm Cottages, Muir of Ord.

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