SIR: Mr R Sheare (BEN February 1) is his usual confused self. If he takes the trouble to read Mr G Baxter's letters he will see that he does not think that the late Mr Hamilton was mentally ill - he thinks that he was 'an evil man determined to commit an evil crime'. Mr Sheare also tried to put words in my mouth. I have never said that Mr Hamilton should have been given a firearms licence and it is disingenuous of him to suggest that I have.

Unlike Mr Baxter (BEN February 3), I do not pretend to know whether Mr Hamilton was evil, or mentally ill or both. It does seem likely though that someone who could do such a horrible thing and kill himself as well may have been deranged. Mr Baxter also tried to put words into my mouth. I have great sympathy for Dunblane parents and anyone else who loses a child. This does not give them the right, however, to impede the pursuits of shooters who own their guns legally and do no one any harm. I also have sympathy for Mr Hamilton as well if he was ill. After all he lost his life as well.

S R Morgan, Normanby Street, Bolton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.