IT HAS been announced that the Ashes Test cricket matches are to be included in the list of sporting events that have to be shown on free-to-air TV.

This gives rise to the question of whether it is, in any case, right for cricket to be the sole preserve of pay-to-view TV channels, thus preventing a large percentage of the population from watching and learning about our national game at the top level.

The cricketing authorities argue that contracts with pay-to-view channels bring in large sums that can be funnelled down to "grass roots" level.

They seem completely to overlook that denying exposure of the game to millions, including the younger generation, is bound to lead to a lessening of interest in it. In time there may well be no "grass roots" level in which to put any money.

Personally, after having been able to watch cricket on free-to-air TV all my life up to the last 18 months or so, its complete absence on BBC, ITV or Channel Four was initially a loss. But having got used to the situation, I now find I don't always even look for England progress and fixtures, or keep an eye on county cricket results.

I wonder how many others have experienced a similar waning of interest.

In this day and age, sport relies on wide television exposure, particularly where young people are concerned. It may be that our cricketing authorities' decision to look for short-term financial gain could result in long-term pain as far as the popularity of the sport is concerned.

Robert Tubb

Truro

Reality of the hunt

YOUR report of Labour minister Dan Norris telling hunt supporters to "get out in the real world" reveals how far he is from the real world himself.

If he had ever followed a foxhunt it is very unlikely that he would have seen a fox killed by hounds, because by the time the followers reach the scene the fox is usually dead, having been killed fairly quickly.

Hounds are not like cats, who "play" with their victim before killing. By the time a fox is torn apart it is already dead.

Killing a fox is not what followers go to watch: it is for the joy of meeting socially, to ride across open country and watch the skill of hounds in following a scent. At the same time hunts normally do a valuable service in public pest control.

Similarly those who imagine that foxhunters are a collection of "toffs" are also living in dreamland. In the Westcountry, where the biggest concentration of hunts is to be found, the hunters are ordinary farmers, tradesmen and local villagers such as you might meet at any village activity.

Let's all get real.

Gerry Matthews

Black Torrington

Capable security

THE protection of scenes of crime by security officers for Devon and Cornwall Police (WMN, November 9) should be applauded.

Indeed nationally most such scenes, when seen on the media, are protected by police community support officers who have very little more powers than security officers.

Trained SOs with detailed instructions, properly supported by supervising police officers, are more than capable of this important but mundane task.

For decades now we have entrusted airport security, prison escorts – and indeed prisons – to the security industry. Each of these tasks has been opposed by the Police Federation without sound articulated argument.

Police officers are expensive to employ (and we have to support their pension at some early age).

Yes, Sergeant Steve Tovagliari, of the federation, the force is saving money – as it should be. He would do better to ensure his members give quality service to the area they police by sound use of manpower, which this experiment will allow.

C W Winser

North Somerset

Transparency, please

FORMER UKIP MEP Tom Wise has finally had the good grace to admit his guilt in pocketing £36,000 of taxpayers' money. He had been claiming £3,000 a month for a researcher who only received £500.

After he was discovered by a police investigation, UKIP leaders moved quickly to disown Tom Wise and distance themselves from the scandal.

However, in light of this, the fraudulent activity of former South East UKIP MEP Ashley Mote, and Nigel Farage's boasting of his wildly excessive expenses tab, I want to know what is being done to root out any other such cases in UKIP?

It was only after police investigations were made public that Wise and Mote were discovered and disowned, so how do we know there are no other "Tom Wises" in the party?

UKIP seem to be the least transparent of all the parties when it comes to expenses.

Frederick Debley

Highbridge, Somerset

Tariff for fiddling

WE have now had former MEP Tom Wise convicted of fiddling his European Parliament expenses to the tune of £39,000 and imprisoned for two years.

When are we going to see all those Westminster MPs who have "flipped" their second and main homes to avoid capital gains tax, claimed repayments of non existent mortgages, or fiddled their Parliamentary allowances in some other way, charged with fraud or tax evasion?

Some of them have "fiddled" far more than £39,000, so for how long should they be incarcerated? We now have a tariff!

Peter Wyatt

Totnes