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Hunts do not produce a meet card for cub hunting, nor are they open about when the season begins. They call the activity “Autumn Hunting”, but most anti hunt organisations are very clear that this means cub hunting. Hunts leave their kennels very early in the morning and take their hounds to areas where they know a family of foxes lives. Some hunts go out every day of the week. Like fox hunting, cub hunting is illegal. Last year, the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt began cub hunting in the middle of August. 

Members of the West Norfolk Hunt have been convicted of illegal fox hunting following two incidents. Adam Egginton, 23, of Moor Lane, Necton and Edward Bell, 31 also of Moor Lane, Necton appeared at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on Friday 19 July 2024 following a three day trial. They were found guilty of hunting a wild mammal with dogs on 8 February and 20 February 2023 and were handed fines and costs totalling £1,700 each. Two other defendants, Andrew Kendall, 67, of Hulver Road, Henstead and Robert Gurney, 55, of Bawdeswell were cleared of all charges.

Dorset Police report that three men have appeared in court in connection with an incident that occurred on 9th December 2023. A female monitor was assaulted and had property stolen. Two men, charged with highway offences, are due to appear at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on 24th September.  A third man who has been charged with theft and assault will appear at Bournemouth Crown Court on 15th August.

Ben Wallace, the previous Minister of Defence, was heavily criticised for his personal involvement with the Royal Artillery Hunt, and the permission they had to hunt on Salisbury Plain. The new Minister, John Healy, voted for a ban on hunting when it was under consideration in Parliament. It is now hoped that things will change and the RA will be banned, along with all the other hunts that use MOD land. Protect the Wild has a petition to ask Mr Healy to begin the process. PLEASE SIGN, if you have not done so already. https://protectthewild.org.uk/our-campaigns/no-defence-for-hunting-mod/

Despite pouring rain, the anti-cubhunting rally in Dorchester on 13^th July was well-attended. Various speakers expressed their disgust at this practice. In her speech, Pip also pointed out how hunts are risking their own hounds by continuing to train them to do something illegal, even though it is likely that hunting will be finished in the near future.

Sab action

On Saturday 19th July, Nottingham Hunt Sabs and Staffordshire Hunt Sabs successfully saw off an attempt by the Dove Valley Otter and Mink Hunt to hunt the River Derwent.

On Saturday 19th July, several sab groups (South Cambs Hunt Saboteurs, South Norfolk Hunt Saboteurs, SES – Suffolk And Essex Hunt Sabs, South Suffolk Hunt Sabs Group and North London Hunt Saboteurs) combined to sab the relatively new Eastern Counties Mink Hunt. The sab was successful and another hunt now knows they are in the sights of sab groups.

Manchester Hunt Sabs were able to thwart the abuse of two foxes that were captured and held in a trailer in Morton on the Wirral. Police were called and the foxes handed over to an animal rescue.

On Sunday 7th July, Locals Against the Cottesmore Hunt and Northants Hunt Sabs again managed to influence one of the Hunt’s money-raising events simply by demonstrating at the entrance to the fun ride.

court, Police and prosecutions

A Wynnstay Hunt security staff member has been found guilty of racially abusing a hunt saboteur. The incident occurred on the 6th of January 2024. Anthony Williams pleaded guilty to the offence, and he has been fined £400 and ordered to pay £200 for court expenses and another £150 for extra costs.

Neil Burton (59), huntsman with the Burton Hunt, of Riseholme Lane, Riseholme, Lincolnshire has been summoned to court for the offence of hunting a wild mammal with dogs, contrary to Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004. The summons follows an investigation into a report of illegal fox hunting with a pack of hounds on 27 January 2024. Burton will appear at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 1 August 2024. Lincoln Hunt Sabs have done sterling work opposing this hunt and have had to endure verbal abuse, assault, property theft and vehicle damage.

Another trial of a terrierman, committing a similar offence to the one above, is expected this week. 

This also caught our eye

Warwickshire Hunt and Warwickshire Police

The row is still ongoing. Even though Philip Seccombe, the hunt-supporting Police and Crime Commissioner is still in post, Warwickshire now has two Labour MPs and a Liberal Democrat. One of the MPs, Matt Western, can now work with a Labour Home Secretary (Yvette Cooper) towards resolving the problems of Warwickshire Police and their secret protocol made with the Warwickshire Hunt.  The authority for appointing and overseeing PCCs (Police and Crime Commissioners) may now be persuaded to look into whether Mr Seccombe is a suitable PCC given his membership of the Countryside Alliance (the mouthpiece of the blood sport industry). In his turn, having seen the result of the General Election, the fee-paying, card-carrying member of the Countryside Alliance (Mr Seccombe ) is looking to set up an inquiry into the policing of hunts in Warwickshire. Warwickshire police continue to stonewall enquiries from the Warwickshire Hunt Sabs or to disclose information requested under the Freedom Of Information Act. Warwickshire Hunt Sabs have therefore lodged a formal complaint with the Information Commissioner’s office.

Father Tobias, from a Parish in Hackney, London, undertook to have a family of foxes that lived in his vicarage garden, shot. The foxes had lived there for decades. Needless to say there is dismay that England’s green and pleasant land should not be shared with wildlife. The justification for such action seems fallacious.

https://open.substack.com/pub/protectthewild/p/hackney-resident-woken-by-gunfire?r=2usbqk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

On Saturday 22 June, the Restore Nature Now was attended by tens of thousands of people.  Over 350 groups were represented and its theme was ‘Restore Nature Now’. Hunt Sabs were amongst those attending.

Pip Donovan, chair of Action Against Foxhunting and co-founder of Action Against Staghunting, was invited to become a partner in PAW – Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime, run by the National Wildlife Crime Unit. She attended a meeting in London on 9th July and listened to various speakers, including the Wildlife Crime Officer of the year, Mark Powell, from Gwent Police. She heard that the NWCU are hoping to include hunting as one of their priorities, when they review them in April 2025.

Pro Hunt MPs who lost their seats included:

Bill Wiggin
Liz Truss
Therese Coffey
Ian Liddell-Grainger
Mark Jenkinson
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Scott Mann
Guy Opperman
Marcus Fysh
James Gray
Andrew Selous
Theresa Villiers
Victoria Prentis
Mark Spencer
Richard Drax
Derek Thomas
Chris Loder
Simon Hart
Rebecca Pow

AAF’s Rural Survey for 2024 is concluded. This was a street survey, asking passers-by in rural towns for their opinion. The results are decisive. They also show a considerable improvement from 2022, in all respects. 

Campaigns and things to do (now) 

NEW LEAFLET –  AAF has a new leaflet for Action Against Hare Hunting. Also, cub hunting stickers are back in stock and have reverted to their larger size of A6. Order yours here: https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/aaf-leaflets/  Cub Hunting Bundle – 200 leaflets and 30 stickers is available. 

 AAF is writing a new report “Broken Law – How the Hunting Act Failed in Practice”. The point of the report is to show any new law-makers where it all went wrong in the field, and how the weakness of the Hunting Act allowed animal abusers to avoid justice. We need case studies. If you have been involved in a Hunting Act case which did not result in a conviction – or was dropped by police or CPS before reaching court, please let us know.
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/broken-law-how-the-hunting-act-failed-in-practice/

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