Top Stories

BANGED TO RIGHTS – Beds and Bucks Hunt Sabs have a very positive outlook in their first report of the year. They say: “2025 promises to be very interesting, we have the Oakley Hunt staff in court in March, the Fitzwilliam are under investigation once again and we are very optimistic of a positive outcome there, plus there’s more regarding the Fitz we hope to make public in the future.”

WARWICKSHIRE – The Review of the actions of Warwickshire Police after the Secret Protocol scandal has been published. The Secret Protocol itself has also been published. The reactions of all anti hunting organisations are the same. They believe that the Review is unfocused and does not deal with the actual issues. AAF has stated, “The Review and the Protocol both reflect out-of-date attitudes to hunts and hunting. It is as if they were both written twenty years ago. Things have changed. Hunts and hunting are criminal activities and this is now universally accepted.”

Channel 4 News again reported on the Warwickshire Police and the Warwickshire Hunt, and we now know that some police officers are unhappy about the state of affairs within the police. Here is a link to the item. 

HINDS KILLED – The Quantock Staghounds killed two female deer on 12/12/24, leaving two calves who may or may not survive the winter without their mothers.

POLICE MONITORS – Cheshire Monitors’ acknowledge that the North Wales Rural Crime Team did a good job and stayed with the Wynnstay Hunt for most of the day. They searched a terrierman’s quad, and later a terrierman was seen inside a police car.

MORE stories

BOXING DAY ARRESTS – Eight people were arrested after the Southdown and Eridge Hunt met on Boxing Day in the town of Lewes.

LANDOWNER ACTION – On Sat 04/01/25, the Wynnstay Hunt was stopped from hunting by the landowner on whose land they were trespassing.

USE OF DOGS BELOW GROUND – Weymouth Animal Rights group have been talking to their local MP, Lloyd Hatton, who has written to Defra and wants extra legislation banning the use of terrier men using dogs underground. He is fully supportive of a total ban on hunting.

AIR AMBULANCE – Kernow Hunt Sabs report that an Air Ambulance was dispatched to rescue a fallen rider from the East Cornwall Hunt. The accident occurred in a plantation owned by Forestry England. The East Cornwall Hunt were not only hunting illegally, but trespassing too, as they are forbidden to hunt on this land.

BEAGLES – South Coast Hunt Sabs caused the Downland Beagles to pack up, but regrettably not before the hunt had managed a kill.

BEAGLES – On Saturday 14th December, the Severn Vale Hunt Sabs successfully, and for the second time in two weeks, caused the Severn Vale Beagles to return to their kennels.

NATURAL ENGLAND – Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Sabs have revealed that hunts that hunt on SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) sites require specific consent from Natural England. In the particular case the Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Sabs enquired about, the West Norfolk Foxhounds had not received consent.

HUNT ATTACK – South Thames Hunt Sabs report that on 21/12/24, members of the Hursley Hambledon Hunt attacked them.

HUNT ATTACK – A identified  supporter of the Cheshire Hounds assaulted a hunt monitor and snatched a camera.

HUNT ATTACK – On 14/12/24, a Sab was assaulted by a member of the Wynnstay Hunt. The evidence is now with the police.

BOXING DAY – Some hunts avoided fox hunting on Boxing Day, preferring to remain within the law on a day when they ran the risk of being subjected to public scrutiny.

BOXING DAY – The Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt, having been prevented from parading in Castle Cary town, thought they’d found an alternative host at the rugby club. The club cancelled their invitation as their insurers would not cover the risk.

SCOTLAND – Glasgow Hunt Sabs had a difficult time with the Jedburgh Hunt who, at the end of the day, used illegal quads to block a road until the police arrived. The sabs showed police videos of “illegal hunting, drink driving, and violence our female sabs had experienced from hunt supporters during the day.”

SCOTLAND – Glasgow Hunt Sabs spotted more illegal hunting. The Lauderdale Hunt, which had equipped itself with blood hounds for legal (clean boot) hunting, was out with foxhounds in territory formerly used by the now defunct Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Foxhounds.

SCOTLAND – On Saturday 21/12/24, the Scottish Border Hunt Sabs visited the Berwickshire Hunt which was not acting secretively and were even welcoming. The hunt appeared, and almost certainly was, acting within the law and engaged in a drag hunt (not a trail hunt).

HUNT MEMBER CAUTIONED – A member of the North Cotswold Hunt, Oliver Dale, has received a caution from Gloucestershire Police following an assault on a lone female sab on 30/11/24. The attack left the sab “lucid but in pain in her shoulder and hand [with] a head injury.”

WARWICKSHIRE – On Saturday 21/12/24, a former police superintendent with the Warwickshire Police, David Whitehouse, was observed out with the Warwickshire Hunt.

WARWICKSHIRE – On 03/12/24, Warwickshire Hunt met at a farm which is under restrictions due to bovine TB. Since hounds can contract bTb this is a  lapse of biosecurity. The taxpayer pays compensation for infected cattle.

HUNT THUG FAILS TO SHOW  –  Northants Hunt Sabs report that David Fildes did not turn up for sentencing at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 17/12/24, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. David Fildes was the chief thug serving the Cottesmore Hunt and he had already pleaded guilty to: assault by beating x 5, unlawful violence, use of threatening/abusive/insulting words/ behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke. Members of the Hunt did not attend his trial on 05/11/24.

FOX KILL – On Saturday 14/12/24, the Sennybridge Farmers Hunt killed a fox. The sabs were close enough to witness the kill but not close enough to save her. The Wynnstay Hunt also killed a fox.

SABS RESCUE SHEEP – On Saturday 4th December, some of the Isle of Wight Foxhounds entered a field of sheep and one of the panicked sheep lost its footing, fell into a stream, and was trapped head down. The Wight sabs spotted the incident and were able to rescue the sheep and get it back on its feet.

HUNTER INJURED – On Friday 03/01/25, a member of the Thurlow Hunt took a nasty fall landing on his head, causing bleeding from his head and ear. Members of the North London Hunt Sabs assisted the injured man who at least had the good grace to say thank you. Just days previously a supporter of the Hunt had attacked a member of the North London Sab group.

MONEY RAISED – The South Thames Hunt Sabs wanted to raise funds after losing a camera and a phone in the above attack. In 24 hours, over £8000 was raised, so they have closed their appeal and will use some of the money towards a vehicle. 

 

Campaigns and things to do (now)

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