Conviction Alex Evans, one of the Beaufort Hunt’s terriermen, has been jailed for two years and banned from driving for six years, following his prosecution for causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified and uninsured. On 23/12/23, he was driving his quad in support of the Beaufort Hunt, with his girlfriend Grace Vater. Both were on a single seat quad. She fell off the back of the quad and received severe head injuries. She died two days later. Evans left the scene of the accident and the judge described this as “cowardly and shameful”. The quad was found hidden in an empty lean-to building.

Media Last week, BBC Countryfile featured foxhunting, concentrating mainly on the Fitzwilliam Hunt. They put forward both sides of the argument concerning whether so-called trail hunts actually hunted trails. With no advanced warning of the BBC’s presence, the Fitz questioned the camera men and demanded to know why they were there.

Assault On 08/02/25 the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt assaulted a female sab who had been filming the hounds in cry, from the roadside. Other supporters from the Hunt filled buckets of water from a cow trough and repeatedly threw them over the injured sab who was lying on the ground, and on other sabs who were gathered round to protect her from further attacks. The police arrived and stayed with her until an ambulance came. This incident is now the subject of a police investigation.

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20 years of Hunting Act  On the 20^th anniversary of the Hunting Act, AAF joined the League Against Cruel Sports as they handed in their 104,000 strong petition to strengthen the Hunting Act.
 

Villagers fed up with hunts In many locations around the country, villagers are finally getting together to keep the hunt out. AAF is supporting no fewer than six villages all trying to do the same thing. It takes some courage to stand up to hunts in your own home, but there is help available for those who ask for it.

Infighting The (Isle of) Wight Hunt Sabs witnessed an argument between the huntsman and the hunt masters of the Isle of Wight Foxhounds.  The masters wanted to abandon the fox hunt and go for a ride around (hack). The huntsman seemed not to approve of that decision.

Scotland Glasgow Hunt Sabs report that the Jedburgh Hunt is continuing to hunt illegally, and they are continuing to report and gather evidence that they pass to the police. Recently, the Jedburgh Hunt hunted part of their day with just two hounds as required by the new law. They did not, however, have any shooters available to shoot the fox if it had been chased into the open.

Police Mendip Hunt Sabs are reasonably impressed that the Avon and Somerset police are beginning to show more interest in the criminal activity of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. The presence of the police on 30/01/25 affected the conduct of the Hunt.

Landowner Permission Lincoln Hunt Sabs have a video clip of a farmer stating that he had given permission to the South Wold Hunt to hunt illegally on his land.

Hounds killed On 12/02/25, the Cheshire Forest Hunt are believed to have had a hound killed on a railway line. There is now a belief that the Hunt will follow a trail if sabs are present, but go foxhunting if there are no sabs around. Clearly a trail would not have been laid across the railway line. On the same day, a farmer was arrested for using a firearm in the presence of the hunt.  A hound was shot dead.

Police North London Hunt Sabs believe that on 01/02/25, whilst sabbing the DeBurgh and North Essex Bassets, they saw the police using a helicopter to monitor the Hunt. The Hunt was already packing up when the helicopter appeared, as they completed their hunting activities as soon as sabs arrived.

Scotland Nickolas Chenier, has been fined £750 and banned from owning or having a dog in his control for five years, under the new Scottish Hunting with Dogs Act. He used a lurcher to hunt a deer which broke a leg trying to escape. The deer was trying to run on its knees when it was caught and attacked by the lurcher. The deer’s injuries were severe and Nickolas Chenier dispatched the deer with a knife.

Sett interference On Monday 3rd February, Mendip Hunt Sabs caught the terrier men from Mendip Farmers Hunt working at a sett. The terrier men had covered the exit with a net. Sabs kept watch both from the air and the ground and eventually the terrier men left with the net. Police attended.

Cottesmore Seizure More information is now available concerning the Leicestershire Police Crime Team seizing two terriers and a quad from the Cottesmore Hunt. Only one of the two terriers was microchipped and both dogs were assigned over to police kennels for rehoming. The quad bike was searched and it was found to contain tracking devices, a bolt gun and a pistol. The master of the Cottesmore Hunt, Alice Robb, appeared at the scene and informed the police that she was the owner of the quad and the seized terriers.

Mike Hill remembered Many sab groups have remembered that the 8th of February was the 34th anniversary of the death of Mike Hill. Mike died under the wheels of a vehicle driven by a hunt supporter.

Assault North Wales Hunt Sabs were subjected to violence from the Wynnstay Hunt (8/02/25). The events of the day are now a police matter.

Royal Family and hunting The Daily Mirror reported that the Princess of Wales refused to allow her children to be “bloodied” at their first kill. Using dogs to pursue wild mammals for sport is illegal and “bloodying” is part of this “sport”, hence this should not be happening anyway. The Princess of Wales herself enjoys shooting game birds.  

Police West Kent Hunt Sabs made a complaint about Kent Police and the results have now been published. An investigating officer, PC Ben Kattenhorn, who was to investigate an assault made by a Hunt supporter against a sab, was himself a member of the Kent Hounds. PC Kattenhorn was appointed to investigate the assault because he was known to support hunting. The assailant, Gareth Burnett, had assaulted three sabs, but the police failed to initiate legal proceedings in sufficient time. No action has been taken against Gareth Burnett and it would appear no action has been taken against PC Kattenhorn either.