IN BRIEF: Cotley, Middleton, Pytchley, Cottesmore and Cheshire Hunts prosecuted. Wynnstay Hunt hounds invade private housing estate, Cotley Hunt banned from Horner Hill, CPN issued against Puckeridge and Essex Union Hunt. Cub hunting imminent.
NEXT NEWS – 12th August.
Court and prosecutions
On 11 Feb 23, Huntsman Sam Jones from the Cottesmore Hunt, who jumped a gate causing his horse to collide with a woman in her 60s, has been charged with common assault. Curiously, he has also been charged with the offence of hunting a wild mammal with dogs under Section 1 of the Hunting Act six months to the day after the incident took place, in Loddington, on 18 February. (The police have to bring charges on hunting offences within six months.)
York Anti-Hunt League report that a member of the Middleton Hunt has been charged with Section 1 of the Hunting Act. The person will appear in court in August.
A member of the Cotley Hunt will appear in court on the 2nd of August charged with assaulting a protester at their Boxing Day meet last year.
Northants Hunt Sabs report that Chris Mardles, former Pytchley Hunt Whipper in, who seriously injured a sab on 20th Sept 2020, was due to have been sentenced on 21st July. For the third time, the sentencing was postponed – the new date being 9thNovember.
Four men have been given four months suspended sentences for hare coursing on 9th November 2022. The action was brought by Lincolnshire Police.
As expected, Ollie Finnegan from the Cheshire Hunt didn’t show up for his trial on 26th July. A new date has been set for 30thAugust 2023, when Finnegan will be tried whether he is there or not. He is facing two charges of hunting a mammal with a dog.
hunt fails
Hertfordshire Police has issued a Community Protection Notice against the Puckeridge and Essex Union Hunt. This will seriously limit the activities of this newly amalgamated hunt. A number of sab groups were involved – Suffolk and Essex Hunt Sabs, South Cambs Hunt Sabs, East Herts Sabs, North London Hunt Sabs and East North Hants Hunt Sabs.
Back in March, Cotley Hunt (Devon and Somerset Hunt) were caught hunting in an area which they had been granted access to. They have now been banned by the Stockland Parish Council, but only until 2nd Jan ’24.
HUNT BEHAVIOUR
Cheshire Monitors report that on 22 July the Wynnstay Hunt took a full pack of hounds on to a private estate. Two hounds broke away and chased some children who were playing outside.
The Percy Hunt hunts from kennels about 35 miles north of Newcastle. They seem to be led by someone with some standards, which makes this an unusual news item. We understand members of the Northumberland Hunt Watch were sent a written apology after a monitor was abused by a terrier man (imported from the south of England). If they could just abandon fox hunting altogether, they would have the rudiments of a decent group of people who know the difference between right and wrong, and who don’t have to live with the danger of having to lie in court to save themselves from prosecution.
The son of the Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd, whose mother is the head of the Flint And Denbigh Hunt, wanted permission for a rave party on their property. Many people objected, including the local caravan park, local businesses, and the police. Since the police have been so incredibly cooperative with the hunt in allowing them to continue their illegal activities 18 years after the law changed, it has come as a surprise that the police have actually raised objections. If it had gone ahead, North Wales Hunt Sabs helpfully pointed out that you can access the grounds of the venue via public footpaths, which they would not have had the power or authority to close.
A number of blood sports enthusiasts tried to sabotage Action Against Staghunting’s “Stag Hunting and Tourism” survey. AAS genuinely wanted to find out if stag hunting would affect tourism in Exmoor and the Quantocks (one of their aims is to expose the cruel “sport” to tourists). AAS were alerted to the cheats’ attempts by some screenshots from private pro Facebook Pages (we have eyes everywhere). To see the screenshots, click here: https://actionagainststaghunting.org/stag-hunting-and-tourism/
Despite the attempts, the survey still showed the 63% of people would not go to the areas where stag hunting takes place. Time to make sure everyone knows about it then!
thank you to all the sab and monitor groups whose posts we have used to create Latest News. If we have got anything wrong, just let us know and we’ll change it.
info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org
Campaigning News and Actions to Take
AAF has been diligently leafleting the town of Pewsey in Wiltshire. Having been ignored by the council and prevented from speaking out on local Facebook pages, the next thing was to keep locals informed with leaflets. One furious pro hunter stopped our leafleter in the street and told her that “what she was doing was rubbish” and “hunting has already started in Pewsey”. We assume this cruel person meant cub hunting had started.
CAMPAIGNS
Action Against Staghunting is asking for funds to pay for a legal review of stag hunting. AAS refuses accept that chasing and killing stags is legal, so they are asking a legal firm to review the law and the hunts’ behaviour. Please support the Crowdfunder, it if you can:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/legal-review-of-stag-hunting-in-the-uk
NORTH YORKSHIRE
The motion to ban hunting on land owned by North Yorkshire Council has been referred to committee. AAF, Easingwold Against Foxhunting and many other groups supported Cllr Rich Maw who proposed the motion. The League helped write the motion. The Hunt Saboteurs Association drew attention to the issue with an article detailing the kills and appalling behaviour of the hunts in North Yorkshire. Protect the Wild’s email campaign to all North Yorkshire councillors generated thousands of emails. Many different anti-hunting groups demonstrated outside the Full Council Meeting venue. Given the make-up of the council, this motion could simply have been defeated and no more said. But, with this amount of public interest, and joint action by significant anti-hunting organisations, the council had to treat it seriously – hence the committee. It is notable that the Middleton Hunt, who wrote to the council complaining about the motion, have a member due in court for hunting offences, in August.
