I visit family each year and each trip coincides with the spring hunting season. I was fortunate enough to accompany a family friend who, knowing I shoot in the UK, asked me to join him this year on each morning of my eight-day stay.

I was hesitant at first to accept because, though I never experienced hunting in Malta, I had read about the shameful record of Maltese hunters.

I can honestly vouch for the true sportsmanship of Maltese hunters who, though a bit squeezed as opposed to us British, were exemplary in their behaviour. Not once did I see any of the many protected birds I saw being shot and, judging by the few game birds I spotted, clearly there can be no carnage.

My visit also coincided with that of Chris Packham, the BBC Spring Watch naturalist, and I followed his daily videos on You Tube depicting hunting as some sort of abomination. I can only say these vile attempts at discrediting Maltese hunters were indeed disgusting, false and a mockery of the truth.

As a British citizen myself, I feel appalled that a British citizen could be so rude and discourteous to the people of Malta by being so deceitful. Knowing the whole spring hunting saga I can only relate his actions to his relationship with Birdlife Malta and his willingness to support their ban of this activity.

With the problems related to bird crime in the UK, Packham should know better than to label Malta as an “avian apocalypse”. We all have our problems with bird crime but, given the very heavy police presence I witnessed, I am quite sure the Maltese authorities have taken the problem it might have very seriously.

Further to that, the Maltese hunters that I associate myself with would definitely pass the exams to shoot at Bisley, as I do.