Top Stories

GUILTY The two members of the Portman Hunt, Tom Lyle and Marcus Boundy, were found guilty of fox hunting at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court. Lyle was ordered to pay £1660 in fines and court costs, whilst Boundy was ordered to pay £810. The offence occurred on 15/09/23. Tom Lyle was the media contact for the National Trail Hunting Day, organised by the British Hound Sports Association.. North Dorset Hunt Sabs were at pains to thank the Dorset Police for getting the case to court. The defendants intend to appeal. 

KILL On 12/10/24, the North Cotswold Hunt killed a fox. Three Counties Hunt Sabs were present and led police to the site of the remains of the fox, which had been torn apart by hounds. Police are investigating.

CUB HUNTIING Drone footage by the Mendip Hunt Sabs (2/10/24) shows the Weston and Banwell Harriers with the West Somerset Vale Hunt cub hunting. A hound is seen grabbing a fox in its jaws. The fox escaped, but must have been seriously wounded.

ROAD CHAOS On 5th October, the Cottesmore Hunt were filmed with hounds running loose and uncontrolled along an A road with vehicles having to brake to a standstill as hounds behaved unpredictably on the road and its verges.

AAF IN INDEPENDENT  AAF’s new report “Broken Law” was featured in the Independent. 

BOXING DAY – The hunts are preparing for their festive meets. Many groups around the country are preparing to challenge them. AAF is ready to help with any objections. 

HUNT BEHAVIOUR

ARTIFICIAL EARTH North London Hunt sabs report that the Thurlow Hunt chased a fox into an artificial earth (AE) on 28/09/24. AEs are built and maintained by hunts. They want foxes to breed in order to hunt them, so they make it easy for them. Hunts often leave food for the foxes near the earths. Hunts also claim that the fox population needs to be controlled.

BADGER SETT BLOCKING The HSA released video footage of the Wynnstay terriermen interfering with and then blocking a badger sett.

VEHICLE DAMAGE The (Isle of) Wight Sabs’ vehicle was damaged by aggressive driving of the Isle of Wight Hunt support vehicle. The incident was videoed and reported to the police.

ILLEGAL DEVICE North Dorset Hunt Sabs report that the Portman Hunt have been using radio frequency (RF) blockers when they (the sabs) have been flying their drone. This is illegal and very unwise. They have been reported.

CUB HUNTING Most sab groups report that cub hunting is continuing unabated, the Smokescreen Saturday trail hunting exhibition already forgotten.

INJURY TO MEMBER OF PUBLIC The Hunt Saboteurs Association has just revealed that on the 22nd of November 2022 a member of the public, Gabrielle Jagger, whilst on a bridleway, was kicked by a hunt horse from Pendle Forest & Craven Hunt. The rider, Bryony Fearnley, did not stop to give assistance, although other riders did. Ms Jagger suffered serious, life-changing injuries

SCHOOL GOES HARE COURSING Beds and Bucks Hunt Sabs report that they caught the beagle pack of the exclusive and expensive Stowe School out hare hunting. 

CALTROP  West Midlands Hunt Sabs found a caltrop (a device designed to puncture tyres) placed in a cigarette packet and wedged under their rear wheel. They spotted it and passed it to the Thames Valley Police (TVP) for fingerprinting, as only two identified people had been near the vehicle. The TVP are refusing to take any action or to inspect the device for fingerprints.

BREACH OF CPW On Saturday 12th, the Albrighton Hunt, despite having a CPW issued against them, called the police complaining of sab harassment. One of the stipulations of the CPW was that the Hunt were to inform the police whenever they were out. The Hunt had failed to do this.

RUNNER CHASED BY FOX HOUNDS On 3^rd October, a female runner was chased by hounds on Dartmoor. She fled in terror and climbed a tree to get away from them.

SCOTLAND No licences have been issued in Scotland to hunts (under their new Scottish legislation), but it would appear that the Buccleuch Hunt is still trying to hunt foxes. They have been out with their hounds.  Glasgow Hunt Sabs Facebook page also shows a shot taken from a drone with the Jedburgh Hunt out with a whole pack of hounds.

court, Police and prosecutions

GUILTY Mark Birney, from the Pytchley and Woodland Hunt, was found guilty of assault of a hunt sab on 18^th March 2023. He was given a fine of £820.

INDEPENDENT REVIEW On Thursday 26th September, an independent review into the policing of hunts in Warwickshire was announced. On Friday, the Chief Constable of Warwickshire, Debbie Tedds, announced she was retiring. The independent review was announced by the PCC, Philip Seccombe, who is a member of the Countryside Alliance (the mouthpiece of the blood sports industry) and who was selected to become the candidate for PCC with the help of an organisation known as “Vote UK” whose existence is based purely on its desire to promote fox hunting. The PCC will also have his say in the appointment of the next Chief Constable

POLICE ADVICE At the end of last season, a Herefordshire hunt sab made a statement to the West Mercia Police concerning the killing of a fox by the Radnor and West Hereford Hunt. West Mercia Police said that they were being advised by a neighbouring force who were expert in dealing with illegal foxhunting. The advising force was the Warwickshire Police Constabulary.

HUNT PACKED UP Manchester Hunt Sabs reckoned that the field riders that were out with the Albrighton Hunt on Saturday had just 25 minutes of riding time with the Hunt, as the Hunt packed up so early.

Campaigns and things to do (now) 

CALL TO ACTION East Midlands Hunt Sabs would like every Warwickshire citizen who objects to the behaviour of the Warwickshire Hunt, and particularly if they have been adversely affected by it, to contact their MP and make the whole issue a matter of public concern. The sabs hope to arrange a meeting concerning all the illegal hunting with all the Warwickshire and Banbury MPs.

CALL TO ACTION – Don’t forget to send our new report to your MP. This REALLY MATTTERS, AND IT WILL ONLY TAKE YOU A MOMENT. Here is a link to the report: A template letter is provided on the link.

https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/broken-law-how-the-hunting-act-has-failed-a-report-by-aaf/

AAF Outreach

Outreach is our business. We need to talk to people outside of Social Media. Standing in the street, talking to people about foxhunting is easier than you might think.  Please contact Alyson Rogers, Outreach Advisor a.rogers@actionagainstfoxhunting.org and she will help you to everything you need.

Thank you to all the saboteur and monitor groups whose hit reports we have used in our Newsbyte. Please let us know if we have made any mistakes – info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org