LATEST NEWS – APRIL 15TH 2023
 

Police

As we know, last month, Wiltshire Police removed an officer that hunts from the Rural Crime Team. WiltsPol say they won’t allow members from either side (pro or anti) in the RCT. The Countryside Alliance are furious, and have released several steaming articles on the subject. It’s a peculiar reaction from a group that claims to be pursuing a legal activity. You’d have thought they’d appreciate the fact that police appear to be making genuine effort to be impartial. We certainly do!
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Prosecutions

Chris Woodward from the Wynnstay Hunt was in court this week. In January, he threatened to kill a sab (among other things). The case was adjourned until May.
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Manchester Hunt Sabs report that Mark Poskitt who was once the whipper-in with the York and Anstey South/Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt was found guilty of the stalking and harassment of three women from his village. District Judge Adrian Lower said that because he had no criminal record he was effectively “a man of good character.”  Poskitt was given a conditional discharge which means he won’t be punished unless he reoffends.
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Peterborough Hunt Sabs report that Marc Birney has received a police caution for assaults on two of their members in January and February of this year. The assaults occurred when he was out supporting the Fitzwilliam Hunt.
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Barry Nicolle, a wildfowl collector in south west Scotland, has pleaded guilty to 14 charges at Dumfries Sheriff Court in relation to the illegal poisoning of red kites in the area.
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On Friday (31st March 2023), gamekeeper Rory Parker, 24, of Drumbain Cottage, Tomatin, pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a sparrowhawk on 16th September 2021 whilst employed on Moy Estate.
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Police gained new powers to deal with hare coursing on 1 August 2022. It was a (rather strange) inclusion in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act – legislation largely seen as an anti-protest and anti-traveller law – the government included amendments focused on coursing. Prosecutions are now coming in and the law appears to be working.

Hunt behaviour

North Dorset Hunt Sabs have recorded video footage of the Quantock Staghounds Hunt unceremoniously removing the body of a stag that they had hunted till too exhausted to flee, and then shot. The distressing footage was shared extensively. It is illegal to hunt stags with dogs, but the hunt make use of all the loopholes. For example, it’s legal to pursue an injured animal with no more than two dogs in order to despatch it, and it is actually specified in the Hunting Act. What police force would really prosecute someone trying to put an animal out of its misery? It’s in the law AS A LOOPHOLE and nothing else.
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The Border Hunt were exposed by the Hunt Investigation Team and Northumberland Hunt Watch for shocking neglect of their hunting dogs. The video footage is distressing to watch. How the hounds feel is unimaginable.
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West Kent Hunt Sabs monitored the kennels of the Bolebroke Beagles. They have photographs of disgusting conditions in which the beagles were expected to live, with dog faeces all over the kennel floor for days on end. The RSPCA are now involved.
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Having been sabbed all season by North London and Suffolk&Essex Sabs, and losing money after their fund-raising events were repeatedly ruined by peaceful demonstrations from AAF and the sab groups, East Essex Hunt lost huntsman (Gary Thorpe) and several members of their committee.  Mr Thorpe gathered all his toys up and left for pastures new. Whither he went is veiled in secrecy for the time being.

Hunt Disasters

Courtenay Tracy Beagles may now be kennelled with the Beaufort Hunt rather than the disgraced Avon Vale Hunt. There are rumours of this pack’s demise.
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We believe that Waveney Harriers have amalgamated with the North Norfolk Harriers.
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After the revelation and video showing that the hunt had a bagged fox in a sack buried in an earth, the Cotswold Hunt is rapidly losing sponsors.
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Howfield Manor cancelled the East Kent Hunt with West Street Hunt Ball. Sneaky hunt tried to book it in a different name, but sabs alerted the owners and the hunt were kicked out.

Other News

A new government Bill, UK Online Safety Bill, does not cover content depicting abuse of animals.
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A sab reports that a badger sett in Cheshire has been re-occupied and there are definitely young badgers present. Needless to say the sab was thrilled at the discovery.
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Devon County Hunt Sabs took a photo of Mark Hankinson (of smokescreen webinar fame) out hunting with the South Devon Hunt on April 2nd. The likeness to King Charles is astonishing. A couple of years ago, an AAF volunteer (leafleting in Devon) encountered a householder who said she knew the story of Hankinson’s birth and that he is the illegitimate son of Prince Phillip. This new photo does tend to support the story.
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The 3rd of April was the 30th anniversary of the death of Tom Worby who died when he was run over by the hound van belonging to the Cambridgeshire Hunt.
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The Welsh government appear to be moving towards requiring pheasant and partridge shooting to be a licensed activity. Those people that enjoy using live creatures for target practice are up in arms about it.
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The HSA would like us all to partake in a survey concerning the release of pheasants and partridges for shooting in Wales. Best you visit HSA for guidance, but here is a link for the survey:

https://ymgynghori.cyfoethnaturiol.cymru/evidence-policy-and-permitting-tystiolaeth-polisi-a-thrwyddedu/nrw-s-proposed-approach-to-regulating-the-release/consultation/intro/?mc_cid=e92e3d4162&mc_eid=60eb4c0005

AAF News and Campaigns

After a cold, dark, wet winter, AAF volunteers beginning to hold outreach stalls in towns and villages. Easingwold (Yorkshire) saw one such stall on April 14th, and another is being held in Salisbury on 15th April. Many more are coming up in Somerset and elsewhere. Hunts don’t much like seeing us in the streets, showing our faces and standing up to them. Public support for our cause is always overwhelming. If you are interested in joining us, or would like to organise some outreach yourself, please contact Pip on info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org. 

Rural Residents don’t much like hunting

The Countryside Alliance (CA) give everyone to believe that they are the ‘voice of the countryside’ and that voice says all rural people really like hunting. Why anyone is gullible enough to believe that is a mystery. Most people – wherever they live  – don’t support animal cruelty. Last year, we surveyed 1014 rural residents in the street, in 14 different rural towns, and we discovered that only 7% of rural residents support foxhunting. We are very keen to survey more people this year. All it takes is a download of our Rural Survey Sheet, a clipboard and a pen. For more info, please contact Pip on info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org.

Click here to find out more
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/aaf-surveys/