As indicated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Borders continues to have an appalling reputation for such crimes and it's about time the responsible landowners and gamekeepers, whose names are being blackened, came out with a strong voice against this.

The sooner that those responsible get a custodial sentence the better.

It was interesting to note that the Raeshaw Estate did not wish to comment – probably not surprising considering birds seem to have had the misfortune to have been found poisoned there over the last decade. Shades of MPs not wishing to comment on their expenses perhaps?

Come on Borderers – let's stop this disgraceful practice once and for all – we're all getting tarred by the same brush.

Jonathan Osborne

Earlston