OSCAR Wilde was right when he remarked that the barbaric sport of fox hunting is 'the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable'.

While this newspaper would prefer a world in which no animal is killed for entertainment, the hunting lobby have made their case that foxes are pests which must be controlled and so we have the half-way house that is the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act which forbids a fox being killed by dogs, but allows the animal to be flushed by hounds towards gunmen and then shot.

The Scottish Countryside Alliance argues huntsmen go to great lengths to ensure they remain within the law. However, animal welfare campaigners are increasingly suspicious that guns are not always used to dispatch foxes. Instead, they claim it is business as usual with foxes torn to bits by dogs.

Animal welfare campaigners have gathered hours of evidence which was shown to the Scottish Government and Ministers rightly ordered a review of the act.

Former judge Lord Bonomy’s report released last year said aspects of the law unduly complicated “the detection, investigation and prosecution of alleged offences” and there was a need to tighten controls to ensure "greater consistency and clarity”.

He suggested the appointment of part-time, independent hunt monitors to observe hunts using packs of hounds, a step which most right-thinking people back. On October 5 the Scottish Government opened a consultation on the findings.

This newspaper commends ministers for beginning this review, and would advise ministers that modern Scotland demands laws that reflect the nation's civilised values.