AS A nature lover and bird photographer I have always enjoyed wildlife programmes such as Springwatch on the television hosted by Chris Packham, and David Attenborough before him with Natural World and Life on Earth.

I was therefore very saddened (though not surprised) to hear of the troubles and confrontation Chris Packham has encountered with hunters in Malta who are shooting migratory birds. This is the first time as far as I am aware that Chris has encountered opposition to his work (so welcome to the real world).

He says he intends to write to MEPs with the thought of raising the issue in the European parliament, in the hope the EU will clamp down on the Maltese authorities who are apparently the only member state to have exemption from this legislation.

I don’t however hold out much hope from that quarter, the EU has never been a level playing field with everyone toeing the line and receiving the same treatment.

Britain will always be the losers on many scores as I believe Chris Packam is about to find out.

Sadly I don’t believe he will succeed in stopping this slaughter, it’s always been known that the people of many European countries not only shoot these birds but also eat them.

It’s been an issue for some years now, our dwindling song bird population, a very worrying situation and many people don’t realise how serious it is.

Animals and insects are very important to human life, so important that it must be said, we cannot live without them and if they disappear so too eventually will we.

L A O’Bee, Southampton.