I AM sorry that Mr Patel is unhappy with me exposing the hypocrisy of the Bolton Tory candidates' positions on fox hunting, but, thankfully, the BEN is a firm believer in free speech.

I would like to set the record straight on the points Mr Patel made and would advise him to not listen to his Conservative friend, who he quotes in his letter, because the advice given to him is totally incorrect. There have been two free votes on banning fox hunting in the Parliament. The first, in the form of a Private Member's Bill, introduced by Labour MP, Michael Foster, which was defeated by a Tory/Liberal Democrat alliance.

The second is currently going through Parliament after being given time by the current Labour government and is again facing hostile opposition from the Tories and Liberal Democrats. To say that the only free vote on hunting came from the Tories is incorrect and I would suggest that if Mr Patel cannot provide factual information when he writes, he should not do so at all. Perhaps he could write back and apologise to BEN readers who may have been deeply misled by his comments.

Mr P Osbourne

Loxham Street

Moses Gate, Bolton