Newsbyte 16
- Scottish Police prosecute Hunt
- Humberside Police fail to recognise fox hunting
- Stag hunts kill repeatedly
- Scottish landowner petitions for safety from shooters
- More rural AAF outreach needed
- Police and Crime Commissioners election 2nd May
- Conservative PCC describes illegal hunting as “scandalous”
- Independent Dorset PCC Candidate says she WILL tackle illegal hunting
Top Stories
Multiple Stag Kills
Plymouth and West Devon Hunt Sabs report the killing of a stag by the Devon and Somerset Stag Hounds on Saturday 13th April. Various sab groups gave their very best to try to save the exhausted animal, but they weren’t able. The stag in question had been chased initially by quads and motorbikes before the hounds were added to the mix. Chasing a stag with motorised vehicles contravenes the Deer Act. However, Avon and Somerset Police recently dropped the case where a person was filmed deliberately running into a stag with a quadbike.
Another stag was killed on 20th April, by the same hunt. A number of different sab groups attended, but once again, the kill happened despite their enormous efforts. After hours of being pursued, the young stag ran along a river, and then was turned back. He lay down in the river, utterly exhausted and unable to continue. The stag was shot dead by gunman Sean Kellaway.
There was also a suspected killing on 15th April, by the Quantock Staghounds. Mendip Hunt Sabs said, “Stag hunting in Devon and Somerset is a depraved mob ganging up on and tormenting an innocent creature for hours on end. How anyone can get pleasure from inflicting prolonged suffering like this, is truly horrifying?”
Action Against Staghunting is organising public outreach in Taunton to expose the events. If you are interested in joining them, please make an enquiry here.
Humberside Police incorrectly decided that the Grove and Rufford Hunt, whilst out hunting wearing their hunting red jackets and with a field of riders, were in fact exercising their hounds and not engaged in hunting. Sabs were escorted away or they faced arrest for aggravated trespass. Hunt staff wear brown coats when exercising hounds, not red jackets. In March 2020, a Grove and Rufford Hunt member, Luke Saddington, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and criminal damage to motor-vehicles when he deliberately rammed two vehicles belonging to sabs. In 2020, Paul Larby was successfully prosecuted for railway trespass whilst out hunting.
Police and hunt crime
Somerset Hunt Sabs report that Josh Delafield, from the Mendip Farmers Hunt, has received a conditional caution after he attacked sabs on New Year’s Day 2024. He must also attend an anger management course.
With the Police and Crime Commissioners election coming on 2nd May (don’t forget to vote), Protect the Wild have produced an article on the elections of the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). They have particular comments to make on the PCCs working in Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Cheshire, Leicestershire, and Devon and Cornwall.
https://protectthewild.org.uk/fox-hunting/vote-may-2-elections-for-police-and-crime-commissioners/
There is still time to make an enquiry to the Police and Crime Commissioner candidates in your area. Find out what they think about hunting by sending the email from LACS https://takeaction.league.org.uk/page
Marianne Storey, Independent Candidate for Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner met with representatives of AAF on 25th April. Ms Storey understands that people in rural communities feel threatened and intimidated by the hunt, and dread the appearance of the hunt in their villages. If elected, Ms Storey will work to protect locals from the hunt and challenge illegal hunting.
Mark Shelford, current PCC for Avon and Somerset has stated in his manifesto that he will “tackle illegal hunting”. He also used the word “scandalous” to describe illegal hunting (in a reply to a constituent who asked). Mr Shelford is a Conservative candidate.
On Thursday 18th, Quantock Staghounds were observed hunting with four dogs, not the permitted two. Both a sab drone and a police drone were present, and particularly the presence of the police drone caused the Hunt to abandon its pursuit of one particular stag, and to relocate to a different area. They did hunt in the new area but their selected stag managed to evade them and the Hunt went home without a kill.
Campaigns and things to do (now)
A desperate plea from a Scottish landowner to protect landowners and their animals from the terror inflicted on them by shooters caught our attention. Please read the article and sign the petition. This should not be happening.
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/perth-kinross/4947373/pheasant-shooting-equine-unlimited/
“Ban Trail Hunting“ is urging readers to report pubs that support hunts to their Twitter/X page “@huntpubs” on Twitter/X. Potential customers can then avoid supporting pubs that lend support to hunts.
AAF Outreach
Outreach is our business. In the run-up to the General Election, it is more important than EVER BEFORE to take our message to the streets. Last Saturday, we were in Glastonbury. The Saturday before, Midsomer Norton. Next Saturday, Wells. But we can’t be everywhere, however hard we try. We are conducting a three-question survey, and collecting postcards for politicians. If more people took our survey and the postcards to the street, we will have a much greater impact. Please contact Alyson Rogers, Outreach Advisor a.rogers@actionagainstfoxhunting.org and she will help you to everything you need.
Total of survey and postcard results so far:
119 cards sent to invidivual MPs.
261 cards to Rees-Mogg, Rebecca Pow, James Heappey and Sarah Dyke
318 respondents to our survey – Bridport, Midsomer Norton, and Glastonbury. Total against hunting with dogs is 93%.
We are also sending the results to any declared election candidate in the area, to make sure they all know too. This has resulted in a response from a Labour Candidate who has taken us up on our offer to brief him about illegal hunting. This offer is open to all MPs, regardless of their party.
As an ex PCSO, (retired) of Avon and Somerset Constabulary. I remember when I was first attached to the Quantock Rangers being in the Forestry Commission Office for a brew when an elderly couple entered the office looking rather annoyed and red faced. They informed me as well as the Rangers and forest commission staff, of an incident they had witnessed involving the Quantock stag hounds Hunt. To my surprise they stated that they had followed the Hunt for years but what they saw turned their stomachs! Now, at the time I was unfamiliar with the ways of stag hunting however, I was on what I could only term as a major learning curve. you see, I had no briefing with regards to the 2004 hunting out. This was a pity because I became very popular with some members of the hunting Community. I was invited out to a very nice farmhouse on the quantock to speak to frightfully nice people Who Hunt officials to advised me that due to a new hunting law brought in by the labour government? It will be impossible to tell whether they were hunting legally or illegally. As the months went on a picture emerged that not only showed me that some very influential individuals who attended and joined in the Hunt looking for stags. But there was also an undesirable element who cared very little for other people or other users Of the Quantock.
Now years later, I realise only too well That hunts whether On quantocks or elsewhere in our green and pleasant land, appear to be immune or even unconcerned that they do not follow the rules and the law regarding the 2004 hunting act. Worst Still, too often it has been shown the police have a peculiar way of dealing with Hunts. You could almost believe that at best they have no concerns with the illegal activities of hunts or at worse they have extreme prejudice at times to those brave souls who go out week after week to interrupt any attempts at killing our wildlife. Whether it’s foxes being torn apart by hounds. Or whether it is stags that are chased until they are totally exhausted and terrified and have to give up because they no longer have the strength to run no more before being killed I can’t think of anything more tragic and barack than these activities in the year 2024. Some of the worst aspects of this whole abysmal activity is what appears to be the Complicity of magistrates courts and the police that side with the Hunt when evidence suggest criminal activity in and around the hunt is often committed by Hunt followers towards those opposed to hunting.