I READ the letter from Bert Jones concerning the massacre of songbirds in Malta with interest and I agree with his sentiments.

Readers might not be aware that we have our own massacre of birds on August 12 when the four month long grouse shooting season starts on Britain’s moorlands.

This so called sport is staged and undertaken by the wealthiest and most influential individuals in the land.

Burning is carried out to encourage the growth of fresh heather on which the grouse are fattened up for shooting. Roads are dug and car parks built for the visiting guns. Moorland wildlife perceived to threaten the birds is slaughtered.

Under the current government moorland grouse shoot owners are receiving even larger public subsidies than before as they go about their industrial scale slaughter of wildlife and rural vandalism.

I have written to my MP but still await a response. As both Swindon MPs support shooting and killing animals for fun I will not hold my breath.

Philip Beaven, Merton Avenue, Swindon