WARWICKSHIRE

n April 2022 the Warwickshire Hunt were issued with a Police warning due to dangerous behaviour on roads. The hunt ignored it. On 14th December 2022, the Rural Crime Team issued them with a community Protection Notice (CPN).

The hunt were due to appeal this on the 15th August 2023, but only two days before, the Telegraph reported that the CPN had been withdrawn and a new secret protocol agreed. After a long campaing and public outcry, the contents of the protocol have since been released and can be found here.

Within the protocol, senior officers had agreed to share details of complaints made about the hunt to the hunt, a severe breach of trust and data. If the Police felt that the issue had not been dealt with sufficiently then they would refer it to the British Hound Sports Association. Effectively meaning that the criminals were policing themselves with no interference from Police. 

The Warwickshire Hunt continue to cause chaos on roads, putting the general public at risk. They contiue to hunt illegally and savagely killed a fox on the 9th October 2023. The court case for this was scheduled for the 20th of January 2025 but has been resceduled for the 14th of March 2025. 

Channel 4 have reported on this ongoing issue numerous times but in particular on Monday 04th March 2024, wherby Lizzie Sindon (hunt master of the Warwickshire Hunt), seemed appalled at the idea that the public might want and need to know about how the police are protecting them from crime. “Why do they need to know?” she exclaimed. Well maybe because the Warwickshire Hunt’s activities are causing distress, alarm and danger to the public. They also have a right to know how their tax money is being spent, and how the police force that is meant to be protecting them is using that resource to tackle the hunts anti social behaviour and illegal hunting.

ITV have also reported on the issues, witnessing first hand hounds chasing a fox onto a housing estate with no sign of hunting staff making any effort to retrieve or stop hounds. The news reporters were also introduced to hunt member Gavin Field, who shouted at them demanding to see identification. 

This continues to be a miscarriage of justice as the Warwickshire Hunt are continually allowed to break the law while rubbing shoulders with the police. Most recently they have been trespassing into people’s gardens in Oxhill, causing damage to flower beds and causing distress and alarm to residents. 

Towards the end of 2024 Police and Crime Commissioner and member of the Countryside Alliance Philip Seccombe, announced he would be conducting an “independent review” merely hours later the then Chief Constable Debbie Tedds announced her resignation and was gone with immediate effect. In her place, Seccombe has put Alex Franklin-Smith, a senior officer who was invovled in the orchestration of the protocol and worked alongside Tedds while she protected her friends within the hunting community.

The results of Seccombe’s whitewash review were as to be expected. No clear answers, and no real digging around. Just the terms of reference he had stipulated and the fact that there are no records of the PCC and Chief Constable discussing the protocol or ongoing issues with the hunt. So either they didn’t discuss them (which is unbelieveable) or their conversations were “off the record.”

Philip Seccombe is still refusing to hold the Warwickshire Police to account and the Police Crime Panel are refusing to acknowledge that there is a problem and take action. 

But you can! 

Below we have many ways you can get involved and hold these police forces and the Warwickshire Hunt to account. If you would like more information regarding this campaign or to update us on any of your progress within this campaign please email Midlands@actionagainstfoxhunting.org or check out our Facebook page by clicking here.