Fox hunted & killed by Blackmore FH next to housing estate

1-3-20  Facebook - Somerset Wildlife Crime   VIDEO    Despite the efforts of several sab groups yesterday, along with various monitors including from SWC and Hounds Off and the presence of 7 police cars, this fox was killed by the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. Following the killing of a fox last week that was bolted from a badger sett. They are indefensible.

This film shows the moment our monitors arrived on a housing estate, hunt support attempted to prevent us getting to the fox whining about trespass, even though they themselves were trespassing, engaged in a criminal act!

We can only operate with help, please share or you can donate to our drone fund here �� https://ko-fi.com/somersetwildlifecrime.

CA seeks to hobble anti campaigners' use of covert filming

1-3-20   The Canary    The Countryside Alliance’s call to tighten laws around covert filming defends the indefensible    A judge in Kent dismissed an animal cruelty case in January over concerns about the way evidence was gained. The Telegraph then ran an article on 29 February containing a call for laws on covert filming to be tightened. But it’s no surprise that the call was made by pro-bloodsports group the Countryside Alliance.

Animal rights group Animal Aid filmed acts of cruelty at Forge Farm Meats in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and handed the footage over to the Food Standards Agency (FSA). In October 2018, the company was charged with 14 counts of breaking animal welfare regulations. Courts also charged two of its employees for failing to properly stun sheep before they were killed. But on 20 January 2020, Animal Aid said that the case had been dropped. And in a 25 January article by KentLive, Forge Farm Meats director Stephen Bailey said the case had been dismissed because of “how [footage] had been obtained”. KentLive said Bailey claimed: '...the footage was dismissed on grounds of “breaking and entering, causing criminal damage and burglary”, with the judge adding: “Well you’ve done all three.”

On 29 February, the Telegraph followed up the collapse of this case with calls for tighter regulations on undercover footage. In an article titled “Prosecutors ‘encouraging animal right activists to break the law’, the paper said that: 'Campaign groups are now calling for covert footage to be used only if it is authorised in advance under strict rules that have to be followed by the police, security services and other investigating bodies such as councils.

However, it quoted just one ‘campaign group’ – the Countryside Alliance. Tim Bonner, chief executive of the organisation, said “authorities [such as the CPS] should not be accepting” evidence gained without “prior RIPA authorisation”. RIPA – the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 – governs how public bodies including the police, intelligence services and local government conduct covert surveillance. However, as the Telegraph notes, non-public bodies such as activist groups and investigative journalists have “no obligation” to go through the RIPA process.

Bonner went on to say that, because the CPS accepts covert footage gained without RIPA authorisation, it’s “encouraging people… to commit crimes and breach people’s privacy”.

Animal rights campaigners have used undercover filming for campaigning and prosecution purposes for decades. The approach has led to several important convictions in recent years. Covert footage by the Hunt Investigation Team, for example, led to the conviction of four hunt members for animal cruelty in June 2019. Cameras caught them feeding live fox cubs to hunting hounds. And a court convicted two members of the Kimblewick Hunt for animal cruelty in November 2019 based on footage by the Covert Film Unit.

Undercover footage by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) led to a Scottish sheep farmer pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges on 24 February 2020. The film showed William Brown “violently punching” two sheep. And by January 2019, Lincolnshire courts had convicted three people of animal cruelty to pigs based on covert filming by Animal Equality UK.

These don’t include exposés that didn’t make it to court but nonetheless revealed cruel, inhumane treatment of animals across the UK. An activist with Meat The Victims, for example, exposed such desperate conditions at a pig farm in the north of Ireland that pigs were cannibalising each other. And hunt saboteurs revealed a mass grave of pheasants in January 2019, describing it as “one of the shooting industry’s dark secrets”.

It’s not just animal rights campaigners using covert surveillance to gather evidence of ethically reprehensible and criminal behaviour. This is an essential tool for investigative journalism. One case that bridges these two areas is a BBC investigation into badger baiting. A journalist for BBC Wales used hidden cameras to capture a group of men engaged in the criminal act of badger baiting. Courts convicted four men on the back of this footage. Journalists have also used it to gain evidence of cruelty and malpractice in wide-ranging scenarios such as the NHS, Amazon, benefits assessments, and even the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

If Bonner’s call for all such footage to first pass through RIPA authorisation was heeded, the impact would be immeasurable. It effectively hands judgement about what is ‘worth’ investigating back to state authorities, who have shown themselves to be woefully inadequate at best and actively hostile at worst. As a result, the impact of such irresponsible changes could also massively damage human rights and social justice issues.

So what might lurk beneath the surface of Bonner’s attempt to disrupt animal rights activists? After 15 years of threatening a repeal on the Hunting Act, it’s finally looking as though any government won’t repeal the ban. Even Johnson’s cabinet accept this as a given now.

Instead, it appears the hunting community will seek to make life harder for hunt saboteurs and other animal rights activists. This can be seen in the Countryside Alliance’s hijacking of the debate over criminalisation of trespass. The Tory’s proposals affect trespass to establish encampments, and will impact Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities most of all. But the Countryside Alliance is attempting to co-opt public discussion to include sabs, who it claims are committing aggravated trespass “with impunity”.

Its latest attempt to steer legislation, by linking covert filming by animal rights groups with criminal damage and invasion of privacy, is utterly disingenuous. Huge numbers of films over decades shows that cruelty is baked into the heart of the factory farming and bloodsports industries. Preventing people from exposing these horrors amounts to little more than defending animal abuse.

Labour seeks to ensure landowners who allow hunting not rewarded

27-2-20  Labour List   Let’s stop public money going towards land used for fox hunting [by Luke Pollard MP]    This month has marked 15 years since hunting with dogs was banned in England and Wales. The Hunting Act was one of Labour’s proudest achievements in government, putting an end to the cruel “sport” of fox hunting. It was a landmark moment in the fight against animal cruelty. But we are still nowhere near the end of the fight against blood sports.

There are 299 Hunts still active across Britain. The sheer scale of the problem is shocking. Loopholes are being exploited, exemptions are being taken to the extreme, and the need to strengthen the ban on fox hunting has never been clearer.

The government’s new Agriculture Bill tries to overhaul what funding government gives to farmers. As ever with this government, the headlines are positive but there’s less to celebrate when it comes to the detail. The new bill sees the system of payments to farmers move to a Public Money for Public Goods approach, which would mean farmers get more government funding for looking after their land and their environment. This is good in principle, but the problem arises when we get into what exactly is being rewarded by government.

Labour has tabled an amendment to stop public money going towards land that is used for fox hunting, or where an offence under the Hunting Act has taken place. It cannot be right for public money designed to fund very real public goods, such as animal welfare, could end up being be paid where land is also used for hunting with dogs. We must make sure that public money does not support a cruel sport that should have been consigned to history long ago.

Hunts need land to operate on – and the more they are denied it, the less opportunity there will be to flout the law. This was recognised by the Labour group of Nottinghamshire County Council, who successfully passed a motion calling for the end of hunting, including exempt hunting, on council-owned land.

By preventing support payments being paid to landowners convicted of knowingly allowing illegal hunting to take place, we can make them think twice before allowing hunting and embolden the police to pursue charges where they suspect the law has been broken.

I was proud to stand as a candidate at the last election on Labour’s Animal Welfare Manifesto. This has committed to strengthening the Hunting Act and closing all of the loopholes that are used for hunting foxes, deer and hares. The last general election showed there was clear public support for a renewed and strengthened ban on fox hunting. I’ve spoken out on this in the Commons again and again – and Labour is more committed to strengthening the fox hunting ban than ever.

Labour is committed to the fight to end the hunting of animals with dogs once and for all. Cruelly chasing a terrified animal for hours on end just for entertainment cannot be allowed in any form. The end goal is clear, but it requires us to be on our guard, and vigilant to new opportunities to put an end to the chasing and killing of animals. Labour’s amendments to the Agriculture Bill would be another important milestone on the way to stopping this cruelty.

Blackmore FH kill fox after bolting it from badger sett

24-2-20  Facebook - Somerset Wildlife Crime   VIDEO     This is fox hunting. This is animal abuse. This is against the law. This is happening all the time. This MUST stop!

A year to the day the same hounds chased a vixen through a cemetery, The same week that saw the 15 years anniversary of the hunting ban, and just weeks after the same huntsman was found ‘not guilty’ at Taunton Deane magistrates court for illegally hunting that vixen in the cemetery, amid claims of ‘trail hunting’.

Well, this is what their ‘trail hunting’ looks like, foxes running for their lives. Thugs intimidating law abiding monitors and the broken body, and the blood and guts of a fox strewn across a field after a desperate animal is bolted from a badger sett and torn to pieces in front of Huntsman, Whip and terriermen. Just like the good old days hey?

This time of year vixens are heavily pregnant and will rely of their mate to find food for them as their cubs arrive. Somewhere there is a vixen who will now struggle to feed herself and her cubs. We give you, the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt 22/2/2020.

Monitors from Hounds Off, SWC and Wildlife Witness and local independent monitors were out from the start of the day, everyone did their best. If you’d like to contribute to our drone fund ❤️ thank you - https://ko-fi.com/somersetwildlifecrime.

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Ricky Gervais demands charging of Waveney Harriers after deer savaged

22-2-20  Daily Mirror    Ricky Gervais demands cruel hunters face prosecution after dogs savage young deer    EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Ricky Gervais said hunters 'should be prosecuted and made to seek psychological help' after shocking images show hounds chasing down a terrified muntjac deer before cornering it against a barbed wire fence Ricky Gervais has demanded cruel hunters face prosecution after seeing footage of a young deer being savaged by dogs. Shocking images show hounds chasing down a terrified muntjac deer across open land before cornering it against a barbed wire fence. The ordeal lasted almost 10 minutes before organisers dragged off the dogs.

Comic Ricky, 58, said: “I will never understand the joy in chasing a terrified animal for miles and then watching a pack of dogs rip it to death. These people should be prosecuted and made to seek psychological help. This has no place in a civilised world.”

His outrage at the Waveney Harriers hunt in Suffolk was echoed by actor Peter Egan. Peter, 73, said: “What message is sent when dogs disembowel a defenceless deer?”

The hunt, which began as a legal “trail” using only animal scent with no kill, turned bloody when the hounds spotted the deer. It took place last Tuesday on the 15th anniversary of the law banning hunting with dogs. It is illegal for animals to be pursued but witnesses claim the horse-mounted hunters did nothing to prevent the savagery.

Retired Margaret Langham, 68, from Geldeston in Suffolk, said: “The poor thing went straight into a fence. There is no way it can have survived.”

But the Waveney Harriers claimed: “An incident happened as a direct consequence of hunt saboteurs, who distracted a few of our young hounds. The deer escaped without serious injury and our hunt staff removed the hounds despite false allegations.”

Anti-hunt naturalist has dead badger strung up on his gate

21-2-20  Spirit FM News    Wildlife presenter Chris Packham has shared a picture of a dead badger which he says was left outside his house. The 58-year-old broadcaster and conservationist shared images on social media showing the dead animal strung up to his gate with string. It is not clear how the animal, which looks very dirty and beaten, died.

Packham wrote on Twitter: "Always nice to get home after a long day at work to a warm welcome at the gate. I'd be grateful if you have an issue with me and my views if you could express it without killing innocent animals."

The macabre images have been retweeted more than 2,500 times in under 12 hours. Many of Packham's Twitter followers shared their anger over the presenter's harassment at his home and the cruelty of the act. Many shared more positive images in a bid to counter the attack, with one posting a short video of a baby badger who had been saved from his flooded sett in Derbyshire following Storm Dennis.

It is not the first time Packham, who is a staunch anti-hunting and anti-animal cruelty campaigner, has been targeted. In December he shared a video showing a dead fox which he said had been left outside his house in Hampshire. The footage showed a dead animal with what he called a "snare" injury - characterised by a dark mark around its body.

In the video he said: "It appears that if you oppose the cruelty and illegality of fox hunting and those who club them to death, you don't just get social media abuse. "It seems that if you stick up for foxes, you get your comeuppance from people who still think it's a good idea to kill them." At the time he said he was going to examine his CCTV and report the incident to the police.

Packham, who was awarded a CBE in 2019, has also been the target of previous attacks, and has had death threats directed at him, as well as dead birds hung outside his home.

He said that the attacks "fuel" him, adding: "It never makes me angry, depressed, worried, it makes me think they're doing these things because they're being backed into a corner and lashing out. "I'm interested in getting results, I will plough on regardless."

Fox killed by Warwickshire FH in front of sabs

Hunters stopped sabs trying to save it

Vile abuse heaped on antis by hunt supporters

Hunt chase 2nd fox across busy road 

19-2-20  Facebook - West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs   VIDEO to follow    Today, Wednesday the 19th February 2020, the day after the 15th anniversary of the Hunting Act, the Warwickshire Hunt chased and killed a fox in front of saboteurs. The Hunt's Whipper-In jumped off his horse and into the hedge where the hounds had killed the fox and took the body away from cameras.

Members of the Hunt physically prevented sabs from entering a field to save the fox. Joint master of the hunt Olivia Forsyth denied that a fox was killed and denied that there was even a fox present.

Moments later the hounds were chasing a second fox from the same location. They hunted it across the blind bend on busy A422 Sun Rising Hill. The hounds were out of control with no member of the Hunt with them. They burst out onto the busy road on the blind bend causing chaos and tail-backs.

Sabs were subjected to vile and provocative behaviour from the hunt stewards, headed by senior joint master Barbara Hester, which included homophobia, sexual comments and joking about mental health issues.

Today was a very tough day the Warwickshire Hunt are bloodthirsty and arrogantly out of control. We will not stop exposing the Warwickshire Hunt or standing up to their bullying. Please consider donating towards our costs as all sabs are all volunteers.

https://www.paypal.me/westmidlandhuntsabs Tip off hotline 07767620767

 N. Cotswold FH chase fox into wood pile in village

19-2-20  Facebook - Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs    19th February 2020, North Cotswold Hunt, Hidcote Manor (National Trust)    The NCH met at Hidcote Manor today and, after an unexpected swan rescue mission this morning we caught up with the hunt at Meon Hill. Terrierman Trotman was seen going into a small covert where the hunt had just been drawing near and a badger sett was found within the covert, hound prints on the entrances.

Over the road and later on towards Coleman's Hill with hounds picking up strongly in a thick hedgerow (another badger sett found) and the Hunt moving on when sab was spotted - terriermen stuck around in the area then also moved on with a second sett found in the same area, hound prints all over the entrances. Meanwhile a hunt rider left behind chose a blind corner to attempt to get on his horse with sab the first to offer to help calm the horse down (who had reared up) and who then stopped traffic so that he could get on safely with terrierman's help.

Hunt picked up and hounds ran back and forth near Coleman's Hill then around Clopton Wood and Mickleton Wood with hounds and quads then ending up going through Mickleton village itself, Hunt panicking and moving off as another sab arrived where hounds had marked at a wood pile.

They drew blank after drawing for some time around Mickleton Wood then headed inland and we lost them until they packed up at National Trust - Hidcote Manor Garden (only picking up hound poo from the car park after being told repeatedly about it by sabs).

If you like what we do, like and share our posts and page and, if you can help financially to keep us getting out to hunt meets, our funding link is PayPal.me/threecountiessabs. Today was our 94th meet this season!

LACS launches campaign to ban trail hunting on public land

Illegal hunting continues on huge scale, says League

18-2-20   Morning Star    Illegal hunting continues 15 years since the Hunting Act came into force HUNTING with dogs is continuing on a “shocking scale” 15 years after legislation banning it was enacted, an animal welfare charity has warned.

Hunters are bypassing the Hunting Act by using exemptions to the ban, including resorting to taking birds of prey such as eagles on their Hunts to exploit a loophole that excludes falconry from anti-hunting laws.

The League Against Cruel Sports launches an online map today that identifies 299 Hunts that still operate in the British countryside and the species they target, such as foxes, hares and deer.

Supporters of the group will be able use the map to urge local councils to end trail hunting and the exercising of packs of hounds on their land — excuses used by Hunts to continue hunting.

The League’s director of campaigns Chris Luffingham said that Hunts have ignored the Hunting Act since it was enacted in 2005 and have “heartbreakingly” carried on chasing and killing British wildlife.

“The Hunts currently exploit weaknesses in the law or use the excuse they are following scent trails that have been laid, but it is evident they are simply covering up their bloodthirsty hunting activities,” he said. "This map shows the scale of the Hunts’ activities and will help us to hold them to account as we campaign to limit the land they can access and end, once and for all, the savagery of hunting with dogs in Great Britain.”

The League said that it has received more than 300 reports of foxes and other animals being chased by Hunts and regular eyewitness accounts of wildlife being torn apart by hounds since the fox-hunting season began in October.

See LACS Press Release and access interactive map here 

Waveney Harriers hounds hunt and disembowel deer

18-2-20   Facebook - Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs    The Waveney Harriers have just killed a deer by allowing their hounds to disembowel it while they hunted the animal towards a fence giving it nowhere to escape - more updates to come soon!

Warks FH risk own animals & vehicles hunting in Storm Dennis

Female sab assaulted as antis ensure no kills

Police refuse to stop support blocking sab car in

7-2-20  Facebook - West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs      Warwickshire Hunt - Alscot Park - Saturday 17th February 2020    With many hunts around the country cancelling because of Storm Dennis the Warwickshire Hunt demonstrated just how bloodthirsty they are by choosing to hunt through the storm which at times included 45mph winds and rain. As can be seen in the photos, riders forced their horses to struggle on through the wind, rain and waterlogged fields.

They met at Alscot Park just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. If you contact the Alscot Estate (https://www.alscot.co.uk/contact}  to ask them not to allow the Warwickshire Hunt on their land then please keep all communications polite.

We were joined by Liverpool Hunt Sabs and between the two groups we positioned ourselves around the area we expected them to start hunting. As many hunt members as possible were rounded up and made to wear pink high-viz for the day as the Warwickshire Hunt struggled to cope with the number of sabs.

From Alscot Park they rode through Preston on Stour and up towards Atherstone Hill Farm and Jubilee Cottages. From there they hunted down towards Clifford Chambers and close to the busy A3400.

With sabs surrounding the area huntsman Will Goffe decided to cross the A3400 and run off into a big bit of land in the hope of losing sabs. Whilst he was doing this clearly frustrated at their day being wrecked by sabs, hunt supporters blocked the Liverpool sab vehicle in preventing it from moving. However this had no effect on our ability to sab them as once our foot team followed the hunt in land towards Alistone Farm our vehicle went back and dropped Liverpool Sabs off at various strategic locations.

Goffe spent some time hunting at Gordon Hawkins Alistone Farm before moving on to the Fir Grove woods. Here a fox was seen fleeing from the hunt by Liverpool Sabs however with the area not only saturated with water but also with sabs Goffe had to abandon this chase.

Goffe then went on to hunt the dismantled railway, somewhere he knows he is guaranteed to find foxes. However with small groups of sabs dotted about all over the area it wasn’t long before the hounds headed straight into our group of foot sabs who were waiting from them on the dismantled railway just north of Ailstone Farm. With their frustration building up senior joint master Barbara Hester and Willy Forsyth (husband of joint master Olivia Forsyth) began assaulting a foot sab on a public footpath preventing her from walking down it.

Goffe eventually gave up and headed back onto the busy A3400 causing the usual tailbacks before he went on to hunt Foxhill Bank. However he soon gave up and packed up for the day at 4:30 when he realised that he was again surrounded by sabs.

If you’d like to make a bad day even worse for the Warwickshire Hunt you can donate towards our fuel costs to enable us to be back out with the Warwickshire Hunt again soon - https://www.paypal.me/westmidlandhuntsabs.

16-2-20  Facebook - Liverpool Hunt Sabs  15/02/2020 - Warwickshire Hunt SABBED   Yesterday we took a trip south to join West Mids Hunt Sabs to sab the Warwickshire Hunt. Despite a storm forecast and many other hunts in the country cancelling, they decided to risk injury to their horses and hounds to meet at Alscot Park, just south of Stratford upon Avon.

They set off west from the meet and hunted the woodlands around Jubilee Cottages where hounds briefly went into cry.

As sabs were dropping off a team closer to the hunt, several support vehicles blocked the road, forcing our van onto a bridal way. Support started throwing themselves at the van to stop us leaving, so other scummer vehicles could position themselves. The support vehicles then proceeded to surround and block in the van. After 30 mins, sabs called the cops. The first round of police drove past, ignored the situation, and flagged it as resolved with the call centre, telling sabs further down the hill that it wasn't their problem and laughing. Sabs then had to call the police a second time. Two officers attended the scene, telling sabs that the scummers apparently had every right to hold our vehicle hostage, that we should abandon our van and walk into Storm Dennis. After 2 1/2 hours of being blocked in, a Sergeant was finally called out and told drivers to move and that they were indeed committing a crime.

We were joined by 20 pink high vis wearing hunt supporters who followed us around for the day trying and failing to stop us sabbing. We wonder how much money the hunt wastes on them!!

The Huntsman continued north into the Clifford Chambers area, turning east towards Ailstone farm. Hounds went into cry at Fir Grove woodland and a fox was seen fleeing but with sabs in every direction ready to intervene, the huntsman gave up and headed to Whitehill farm to second horse.

Despite most of the riders going home, the remaining few continued in 45mph wind and freezing rain to hunt on the disused railway track (a known area for foxes). Unable to get away from sabs, the huntsman headed back towards the meet. The hunt then used a major road to access their last hunting area for the day, continuing down the road for around 400m while hounds were running in between cars and a lorry. They hunted Foxhill Bank just south of the meet but again with sabs in every direction... they soon gave up.

The Hunt packed up at 4.30pm, with soaking wet hounds and horses... and sabs and pink high vis wearing supporters. No kills! A successful day sabbing and a big thank you to West Mids HS for having us.

If you'd like to donate towards our fuel costs here's our paypal link. https://www.paypal.me/LpoolHuntSabs

Cottesmore FH 'steward' punches sab several times

16-2-20  Facebook - Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs   VIDEO    On Saturday 7th December 2019 we were keeping tabs on the Cottesmore as they were attempting to illegally hunt foxes around the Ridlington, Rutland area.

Towards the end of the day we were accosted and assaulted by a large group of stewards. One of our guys was beaten particularly badly by Ollie Barton who, after failing to get a reaction with his churlish taunts and a couple of jabs below the camera's field of view, launched several punches at our guy flooring him in the process.

Violent behaviour like this is commonplace with many fox hunts and is yet another layer of criminality used to hide the root criminality, the fox hunting itself.

Ollie is a “Business Development Manager” at Leicestershire based Crouch Recovery.

Pytchley FH terrierman caught having blocked badger sett

16-2-20  Facebook - Northants Hunt Saboteurs   VIDEO    Pytchley Hunt caught after blocking in a badger sett!    Woodland Pytchley Hunt and The Pytchley Hunt now the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt terrierman was caught after just filling in a live badger sett. Why is terrier-man he covering his face unless up to no good? This is a criminal and nasty Hunt based in Northamptonshire.

Please continue to report any illegal activity to us and the police and SHARE with locals what these wildlife killers are up to!

Heavy sabbing restrains Flint & D FH hunt in amber weather warning

16-2-20   Facebook - North Wales Hunt Saboteurs    Hit report 15/2/2020    With Derby, Cheshire, Manchester Hunt Sabs and Stockport Monitors. With an amber weather warning in place you may have thought the scummers might have give it a miss yesterday... But no, not the Flint and Denbigh hunt, and unfortunately for them not us either.

We arrived in Trefnant to see an unusually large amount of hunt supporter vehicles parked up on the road by Plas Newydd estate and many riders from other Hunts. The Flint and Denbigh Hunt probably thought they'd have a field day today with so many riders and supporters in what was meant to be a showpiece event. But it turned out to be a damp squib thanks to Storm Dennis and a large turn out of sabs and monitors.

The Hunt left Plas Newydd estate at around 11am as hounds immediately picked up on a scent as they headed towards Penpalment farm, foot sabs followed as others went ahead to cut them off. The Hunt surrounded had been foiled in their attempts to hunt a fox and they had to gather their hounds before heading back into Plas Newydd estate.

This was a bit of a theme for the whole day to run and try to lose sabs, the hunt were all over the place as they just could not shake us off. From Plas Newydd they crossed the busy A525 towards College farm and onto the dismantled railway line to Denbigh Green and across the dangerous Bodfari road.

As the Hunt headed across land towards Ty coch some foot sabs followed whilst others went ahead to cut off the hunt. At this point an unmarked police car came down the road flashing blue lights to aid the hunt and block the road to allow the Hunt back onto the road. As a sab spoke with the officers in the unmarked vehicle a riding barged into to sab with his horse and then again. The officers took no action for this assault and instead targeted the sab after the terrier man make a accusation the sab swore, clearly the officer hadn't heard this but had witnessed the assault and chose an allegation of swearing was much worse that assaulting a member of the public with a horse. Operation Yarder in full force, the officer lost her cool a bit as she argued with sabs.

The Hunt were still trying to shake us off looping back and forth on themselves. They then headed down a bridleway at Greenfield farm but sabs were already waiting, the Hunt stopped for a few minutes whilst they planned their escape but then they just headed back to the Denbigh Green area and the dismantled railway. Sabs were already one two and three steps ahead of them. As they headed towards Ty isaf farm and once again across that busy A525 and back into Plas Newydd estate.

At this point hounds started to go into cry again in a wooded area but with sabs hot on their heels the huntsman gathered his hounds. By now the weather was horrendous, we'd have been better off with a canoe to try get across the soaked fields. The Hunt very frustrated by now headed out of Plas Newydd back onto the road and to Plas Heaton estate only to be turned back as there were more sabs already waiting for them. As the hunt went back to Plas Newydd around 8 of the hounds broke free from the pack as they picked up on a scent and ran across the road back towards Penpalment once again. Huntsman Cox informed a sab he'd lost 8 hounds. The sab pointed out they'd gone in the direction of Penpalment, Cox replied "Are you lying?" The sab told him no we all want to go home now.

Nige found his hounds at Penpalment. As one of the riders attempted to pack up, their horse bolted towards the Denbigh to Trefnant road but a quick thinking sab retrieved the horse before it got onto the main road. The hunt then headed back through the Plas Newydd estate with hounds briefly going into cry again. By the time they reached the Plas Newydd estate house Huntsman Nige blew for home.

It may have took us all season but we may have finally broken huntsman Nige Cox, he's usually more stoney faced than Mount Rushmore but said " You sabs are really annoying but you did point out where the lost hounds where and stop to loose horse". High praise indeed from a huntsman who once shot a shotgun through the radiator of a vehicle with sabs in it.

Thanks for all your support and donations we couldn't do it without you. If you'd like to donate to North Wales hunt saboteurs you can on this kofi link https://ko-fi.com/nwsabs

Sabs pull foxes Ledbury FH chasing, blocked setts found

15-2-20   Facebook - Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs    14th February 2020, Ledbury Hunt, Berrow      A somewhat muddy day today, several badger setts checked (3 blocked, 4 not blocked... but these have all been tampered with in the past and it's due to our work that they tend to be left alone now!) and a few foxes seen to safety.

We caught up with the Hunt as a huge(!) dog fox ran from the pack. Believing he was likely to be part of a brace (a couple) one sab covered his line with citronella while the other headed towards the pack and sure enough another fox crossed the road further up - a supporter told Mark the Huntsman where the fox had run and he encouraged the pack on - sab rated them (told them off) as best she could right next to the Huntsman who was encouraging them on (so hounds are less likely to pay attention to anyone else) then sabs got round to where the Hunt were drawing right next to a busy road.

Inland soon after and then up towards Hillend where another brace ran and the fox pictured below was able to jink around and confuse the hounds for some time by going in different directions and circling round, holding them up... then foot sab was able to rate the pack and hold them up again before hunt staff arrived and moved them off - they picked up on another scent nearby which we believe was lost at Hillend itself.

On soon to Queenshill and then Longdon while another sab in the area checked badger setts nearby which had been freshly blocked and the Hunt drew blank through several root fields. With limited land available to them due to yet more flooding they packed up earlier than we expected.

If you like what we do like and share our page and posts - it all raises awareness - and if you can afford to help us financially to get into the fields, our paypal link is: paypal.me/threecountiessabs We're well on our way to 100 meets attended this season!  

Co. Down farmers worried re. trespass & harassment by Hunts

15-2-20  Farming Life    Down farmers raise concerns over hunting with dogs    County Down farmers have met local councillors at an event on Wednesday evening to try and find a way to deal with the impact trespassing hunts and their hounds have been having on their land.

The event was organised by the League Against Cruel Sports and held at the Downshire Civic Centre, Downpatrick with help from Alliance Councillor Patrick Brown, for local farmers concerned at the havoc hunts are causing in the countryside.

Hunts have been accused of damaging property, worrying livestock and engaging in anti-social behaviour as they chase wild animals. Research shows that hunting with hounds also presents a significant biosecurity threat to livestock when hunts trample across farmland.

The farmers are growing increasingly concerned about individual terrier men and men with lurchers terrorising the countryside as they seek to hunt foxes and hares. Similarly, the farmers have reported these men to the police for making threats and behaving in an abusive manner.

Terrier work is an activity in which dogs are put underground to attack and potentially kill a wild animal while lurchers are used to chase hares and foxes at night-time.

Speaking after the event, Janice Watt, senior public affairs officer for Northern Ireland at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “The farming community reached out to us due to the overwhelming amount of harassment they were experiencing from local mounted Hunts, and also lurcher or terrier men trespassing on their land.

“We provided each farmer with a support pack that contained legal fact sheets regarding hunt trespass, anti-social behaviour and public order offences along with supporting materials to assist them to gather evidence efficiently, whilst also ensuring each incident is properly reported to the police. The reception has helped forge stronger working links between farmers and their local councillors which will enable them to work together to overcome the threat to the farming community associated with hunt havoc.”

Farmers suffering from trespass or damage to their farms were also encouraged to log any incidents and report these confidentially to the League.Councillor Patrick Brown, Alliance Party, said: “I am pleased to support this event that provided farmers with a greater understanding of their rights regarding access to their land by Hunts, and to empower them to take action, if necessary, to protect their land and livestock. Indeed, over the holiday period, there were a number of incidents of Hunts being involved in anti-social behaviour including an arrest made of a hunt participant, so the need for this sort of event is clearer than ever. I would like to thank the League for organising it.”

Warks FH chase fox in gardens and village, riot on busy road 

13-2-20  Facebook - West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs    VIDEO to follow    Warwickshire Hunt in private gardens - *Warwickshire Hunt dangerously out of control on the busy Fosse Way near Combrook Warwickshire Hunt - Wednesday 12th February 2020 - Ox House Farm – Combrook     The Warwickshire Hunt met on a farm just off the Fosse Way, and set off around 11am. They began hunting towards Pillerton Hersey. The hunt whipper-in was sat on the busy Fosse Way, and hounds were spotted in land towards Pillerton Hersey. A fox was seen by a sab running towards the road away from the hounds, hounds were struggling with the scent line due to the wet ground and the hounds eventually were gathered back together and convicted Huntsman Will Goffe set off at pace inland, trying to evade sabs. Knowing this meet well we found the hounds in cry near the village of Butlers Marston. Hounds were seen running towards the village, one sab ran behind the back of the house confirming hounds were in cry whilst another headed into the small village and filmed hounds in a private garden with hunt staff present. One sab saw the fox head into the gardens and then hounds could be heard ‘marking’ (noise hounds make when a fox has gone to ground).

Due to sab presence, the Hunt were forced to abandon this chase and were trying to round hounds together entering private gardens whilst other hounds wandered around the village. At this point local people were coming out of their homes watching hounds and Hunt in their village. Knowing how manipulative Barbara Hester and her stewards are what happened next didn’t surprise us.

Compulsive liar Poppy Goodwin started shouting that a sab was filming the villagers children and tried to create a situation shouting sabs were saying disgusting things in front of children. However this Hunt don’t have a problem hunting foxes in front of children and traumatising them. Of course we film all the time and this manipulative behaviour we have come to expect from this Hunt will be exposed in the video.

We would also like to add that on numerous occasions we have heard the Hunt pink viz bullies tell members of the public they are ‘Anti’s’ when approached and then proceed to film car registrations and their faces. The Warwickshire Hunt are extremely nasty and will try and destroy anyone who disagrees with them. Barbara Hester then proceeded to go over to the mother of the child and as usual blame sabs and paint us as dangerous violent extremists. We think the general public knows by now who the real extremists are.

Once the Hunt had gathered the hounds back together they headed towards the dismantled railway in Combrook. Sabs headed inland and once they had caught up with the Hunt, Huntsman Will Goffe took the hounds away and crossed the Fosse Way to begin hunting in Walton. Whilst driving along the single road to Walton we could hear the hounds in cry heading away from the dismantled railway towards the main Fosse Way. Sure enough hounds were racing up to the busy Fosse Way with the usual arrogant self entitled behaviour that the Warwickshire Hunt display on full show to the public. Hounds, horses, hunt supporters all over the Fosse Way dangerously out of control. Will Goffe was swearing loudly, hounds were in cry next to the road and came onto the Fosse Way. The Hunt we’re taking up both sides of the road riding towards vehicles. This Hunt will cause a serious accident as their behaviour is out of control and roads are mere hunting playgrounds with no regard for public safety.

The Hunt continued to hunt the area of Walton and headed towards the A429 and hunted towards Wellesbourne. They were still hunting at 5pm near to the A429 with riders on point around a wood next to the busy A429, with sabs present and hounds heading towards the busy road Goffe stopped the chase and took the hounds back towards Combrook to box up.

Sabs were harassed all day by Barbara Hester and her pink viz bullies. Lord Fermoy acted as the driver for the day.

It was a long but successful day for sabs. If you would like to help contribute towards our fuel costs please use the link below. https://www.paypal.me/westmidlandhuntsabs.Thank

Thank you to everyone who has donated to us and provided information on the Warwickshire Hunt. Our tip off line is 07767620767.

Hare accidentally headed by sab luckily escapes Dunston Harriers

Multiple wildlife fled from Hunt throughout day - no trails laid

12-2-20  Facebook - Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs    Dunston Harriers, Red House Farm, South Green, Suffolk - 8th February 2020    Thanks to a tip off via the HSA, we turned up to the Dunston Harriers’ meet at Red House Farm in South Green, near Hoxne. This is formerly an Easton Harriers meet so it was not entirely unfamiliar.

Sadly the conditions were great for hunting and that was reflected in the volume of fleeing wildlife we saw throughout the day. Dozens of hares and deer, at least one fox, and even two stags. They wisely made a run for it whenever the hunt arrived nearby.

Huntsman Ben Hood hunted hard from the off and didn't even bother with the pretence of a trail. He began in Fir Plantation before hoofing it south past Colby Corner and scaring the shit out of several hares. Hounds spoke several times here and went into cry once but didn’t get anything. Hood had already lost control of his pack at this early stage as a lone hound was witnessed returning northwards. Loose hounds remained scattered across the area for much of the day.

After crossing Denham Low Road, the hounds spent some time in Deal Plantation. We watched as six deer, two stags and more hares made a run for it. The Hunt then appeared to enter Coldham Wood, home to the Coldhamwood Mushroom Farm. We suspect the Dunstons were trespassing, and spent some six to seven minutes in the wood, before quickly leaving once they saw sabs.

The Hunt upset also locals after allowing their hounds to run through one person’s garden just south of Denham Hall. When another resident protested their presence, one of the hunt staff was friendly enough to literally stick his middle finger up at the resident whilst allowing hounds to continue all over the busy B1117. Just minutes before this, sabs managed to get in front of hounds on the line of a fox and rate them away.

We also had a very close call when the Dunston Harriers’ hounds closed in on a hare across two fields east of Low Road. Although sabs got between the hare and hounds, the dogs were determined and ignored the sabs. One sab back at the road intended to let the hare pass but accidentally turned the hare back. This is normally a fundamental error in sabbing. However, in a strange twist of fate, it may have helped this hare escape. After turning back, the hare leapt a ditch. The hounds attempted to follow by wading into the ditch but got into difficulty in the deep water. This provided the hare enough time to escape to freedom.

Later, after spending time around the sewage works, with Hood dismounting and putting his hounds through nearby Waterloo Plantation on foot, the Dunston Harriers eventually returned to the meet around 2.15pm. Not before causing further road problems by creating a tailback, though. We don’t believe there were any kills but of course can’t be certain.

We then had word from friends in Norfolk and Suffolk Against Live Quarry Hunting that the Waveney Harriers were hunting in Sotterley. We drove over there but turned up as the hunt were leaving The Spring and hacking back to the meet. By all accounts it was relatively sedate before we arrived, although the hunt briefly chased one hare out of Likely Wood.

if you've made it this far, thank you for reading this long report.

Cumbria police appeal for info over illegal fox hunting report 

12-2-20  Cumbria Crack    Police appeal after suspected fox hunting    Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident of illegal hunting that is reported to have occurred on the 5th February at Rowling End (Causey pike), Keswick.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: “It is reported a group of men were seen digging in the area. It is believed they were illegally hunting foxes.”

Anyone with any information or who witnessed the incident is asked to contact police on 101, email 101@cumbria.police.uk, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting log 126 of the 7th February 2020.

Blackmore FH Huntsman's 2 sons to stand trial for violence at club

Charged with ABH & Affray - Both very active members of Hunt 

7-2-20  Somerset Live    Three men charged after 'scary' mass brawl at the William Dampier in Yeovil - ideo footage of the fight was viewed nearly one million times on social media    Three men have been charged by police following a mass brawl at a Wetherspoon pub in Yeovil last year.

The fight broke out outside the William Dampier pub on Middle Street in the early hours of February 10, 2019, and lasted several minutes. Video footage of the scuffle was uploaded to social media and has been viewed nearly one million times. Almost a year to the day since it occurred, police have charged three people in connection with the incident.

Edward Doggerell, 21, of Bishops Down, Sherborne, is charged with affray and assault causing actual bodily harm Benjamin Doggerell, 21, of Bishops Down, Sherborne, is charged with affray. Corey Webb, 23, of Brinsop Crescent, Yeovil, is charged with affray.

All three men are due to appear at Somerset Magistrates Court in Yeovil on Tuesday, February 25.

Cattistock FH follower boasts of telling JM line of fox they chased

4-2-20  Facebook - Wildlife Witness   VIDEO    Lady Charlotte's grubby secret    As if the prospect of eluding a pack of hounds hell-bent on chasing you down and ripping you to pieces wasn't difficult enough, hunted foxes also have to avoid the actions of hunt supporters desperate to assist in illegal hunting.

This well known supporter of the Cattistock Hunt was caught out by monitors after spying a fox escaping across a road. Instead of warning the Huntsman to keep hounds away, he actually telephones the joint master and directs him to where the fox was seen.

Gladly boasting that "I just phoned him...but I don't know if he'll go for it with everyone about" adding that he'd "phoned the boss man, anyway" and when asked who the boss-man was he replied "Townsend".

Boss man "Townsend" is no less than joint master, Mr James Townsend husband of one of the county's wealthiest landowners and fellow joint master Lady Charlotte Townsend, owner of 15,000 acres of rolling Dorset countryside and prime London real estate valued at an estimated £450 million

The reality of the web of deceit that is modern-day trail hunting is exposed in this single clip... the bond that unites the gamekeeper and Lady Charlotte is their desire to carry on hunting, regardless of the law that bans it... it's not so much the thrill of the chase that these creeps crave... it's the thrill of the kill.

For as long as these scum continue to "go for it" then we will be there - alongside the sabs and the independent monitors who passed on this video to us, doing our best to bring these arrogant bastards to justice.

If you can help in any way please contact your local sab or monitoring group and contribute towards our ongoing costs www.paypal.me/wildlifewitness  

Heavy sabbing causes very early pack up by Ullswater FH

3-2-20  Facebook - Liverpool Hunt Sabs    Liverpool sabs joined up with Lancs sabs on Saturday to give the Ullswater Hunt a surprise visit.

Sabs distributed themselves throughout the fells from 9am after getting a tip off with their meet location. At about 10am, the hunt set out from Helbeck. Several sab groups then proceeded to strategically distribute themselves all over their hunting ground.

Throughout the day, the Hunt was spotted by various groups attempting to cast the hounds, but with little success as sabs were always visible - greatly reducing their hunting territory

The Hunt travelled up from Helbeck up to Helbeck wood, before following a track up onto middle fell. They then continued to cast hounds (only briefly) up to Longfell, where they turned around at 12 and started heading back towards the meet.

Sabs successfully covered all their hunting terrain today and kept the hunt on the run. For our hard work, hunt supporters started to follow sab vehicles and shout abuse at us, showing that we clearly managed to ruin their day!

The pixies also managed to deal with a few nasty surprises along the way. Thankfully no more animals will be trapped or killed by them!

N. Staffs FH terriermen attack sabs damage radio they tried to steal

2-2-20   Facebook - Staffordshire Hunt Sabs    North Staffordshire Hunt 02/02/2020    Today we paid a visit to the North Staffordshire Hunt who had decided to hunt once again on a Sunday. So, with sabs from Liverpool Hunt Sabs, Manchester hunt sabs, Independent monitors and Stockport monitors we set off to ruin their day. And ruin it we did.

We found them, where we knew they would be at Bar Hill Farm near Onneley. Just before 11, we spotted horse boxes at the farm and saw terrier men on quads zooming around the roads near by. Hunt support were present, including our friend "Silent Bob", who likes to run with the hunt.

Sabs took up positions on the roads to the East, West and South with foot sabs in position watching the farm from the North.

Field master Jonathan Jarrett was seen on the A525 with a group of around 10 riders heading up to the meet. Other terrier men on a quad trespassed on local landowners land and were told that they were not welcome.

Shortly after this they remarked that we hadn't had our windows put through on our new sab wagon yet. They then had a long hard look at our tyres. We saw this as a veiled threat.

We can only imagine the conversation that was going on at the farm because around lunchtime we heard the hounds getting very excited, giving their impatient barks that they always give before they set off. This wasn't to be, however, because not long after that our foot sabs saw the riders leave the meet from the North minus the hounds.

As we have no interest in following people riding their horses if they are not hunting we chose not to follow, and besides the hounds could still be heard barking at the meet. So our foot sabs stayed in position.

Up until this point we had seen 4 different quad vehicles with 2 terrier men on each in the area and some of these spotted our foot sabs and decided to attack them. One tried to rip the radio out of a sabs hand, breaking our radio in the process while another dragged a sab round by his clothing and knocked him to the floor.

The Hunt would have liked us to believe that they were out on a fun ride. In fact that's what they told us. But why would hounds, 8 terrier men, hunt support and Silent Bob be out for a fun ride?

We stayed in the area to check that they hadn't tried to sneak the hounds out, and checked the meet where we saw horses being boxed up, then we left for an afternoon pint and to enjoy a little bit of what was left of our weekend after two days sabbing.

If you would like to help us visit our pals at North Staffs more often then you can either donate towards our fuel costs or tip us off using our new confidential tip off line 07553172570 - https://www.ko-fi.com/staffordshirehuntsabs

Sabs reveal several Fernie FH "Safety Officers" are serving soldiers

31-1-20   The Canary    Hunt saboteurs expose British soldiers who ‘protected’ a convicted hunt     Peterborough Hunt Sabs exposed the truth behind a security firm ‘protecting’ the Fernie Hunt. It revealed that members of the firm are soldiers with the Household Cavalry. The Ministry of Defence didn’t appear too happy about it either.

On 20 January, Peterborough Hunt Sabs posted on Facebook that safety officers accompanying the Fernie Hunt during the 2019/20 season were members of Black Snow Security. The firm’s website says it is made up of “highly-trained SIA licensed security officers”.

Peterborough Hunt Sabs revealed that some of the safety officers were also soldiers with the Household Cavalry, including Black Snow Security’s owner Ben Scollick. The sab group said: [Scollick] recruits his security team from his old regiment, and his mixed bag of bouncers are all pictured on the Household Cavalry Instagram feed while on duty.

The Fernie Hunt later confirmed to the Daily Mail that it uses Black Snow Security’s services. The Daily Mail also reported that the Ministry of Defence has “slapped a ban on soldiers working at any more hunts”.

A spokesperson for Peterborough Hunt Sabs told The Canary: "Fernie Hunt need to hire professionals to keep observers away from their hunt. Why, if they have nothing to hide?"

Two members of the Fernie Hunt were convicted of illegal hunting and disturbing a badger sett in 2011. Harborough Magistrates Court found Derek Hopkins and Kevin Allen, the Huntsman and terrierman at the time, guilty of pursuing a fox before digging it out of a badger sett. The incident happened in January 2010 and was filmed by the League Against Cruel Sports.

More recently, Peterborough Hunt Sabs claims the Fernie Hunt killed two foxes during the same period it has employed Black Snow Security. The sab group published footage of what it says is the Hunt in a “rehearsed clear-up routine” on 11 January. And it alleged a fox was killed at Kings Norton after “hounds briefly burst into cry” on 18 January.

The Canary contacted the Fernie Hunt about these allegations. A spokesperson stated: “The Fernie Hunt operates within the law to comply with the Hunting Act and other legislation at all times. Hunting people are responsible and law-abiding individuals, but as with many other Hunts around the UK we are regularly subjected to spurious allegations made by anti-hunting extremists… If there is any evidence to suggest that illegal activity has taken place, we suggest the activists take it to the police to be investigated through the proper channels rather than trying to secure publicity for their own agenda through the media. We would, of course, assist the police and other relevant authorities with any enquiries.”

However, Peterborough Hunt Sabs told The Canary that a person directly associated with the Hunt privately admitted both kills to the group.

The British Army still has close ties to hunting, for example through the Royal Artillery Hunt pack. But it’s clear that even the Army doesn’t want to be seen protecting a convicted group like the Fernie Hunt.

26-1-20   Daily Mail    Revealed: Household Cavalry troops are moonlighting as paid fox hunt security guards in a £20,000 deal - Household Cavalry troops have been protecting Fernie hunt in Leicestershire - The troops have been protecting trail hunt in a deal apparently worth £20,000 - Army top brass has now slapped a ban on soldiers working at any more hunts    Troops from the Household Cavalry have been moonlighting as paid security guards protecting a trail hunt from animal rights activists, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

In a deal apparently worth £20,000, the soldiers from Prince Harry’s old regiment have been protecting the Fernie hunt in Leicestershire, targeted by saboteurs after its employees were convicted of animal cruelty offences.

Last night, the Hunt confirmed it used Black Snow Security, run by cavalry Non-Commissioned Officer Ben Scollick. The company’s website says it offers ‘highly trained and Security Industry Authorised-licensed officers’. But after The Mail on Sunday established the troops do not have SIA licences, Army top brass slapped a ban on soldiers working at any more hunts.

A statement by a spokesman for the Fernie hunt last night contradicted the MoD’s claim that the soldiers were only acting as marshals and therefore did not require SIA licences.

In 2011, two Fernie hunt employees were fined thousands of pounds after being found guilty of digging out a fox hiding in a badger sett so it could then be chased by hounds.

Fox-hunting has been banned since 2004 and has been replaced by trail hunting, which involves people on foot or horseback following a scent along a pre-determined route with hounds or beagles. Campaigners claim it still allows illegal hunting of foxes, deer and other animals with dogs.

Last night, the MoD refused to say how many soldiers were present at the hunt, or how much they were paid. An Army spokesman said: ‘Service personnel can undertake secondary civilian employment with the approval of their chain of command.’

The Fernie Hunt said: ‘We do not have anything to do with the recruiting of the individuals themselves.’

20-1-20   Facebook - Peterborough Hunt Sabs    The Fernie Hunt employ Black Snow Security, a licensed security firm based in Surrey and run by Ben Scollick, to provide protection and gather CCTV footage at their hunts this season. We have information to suggest that hunt master Philip Cowen has paid £20,000 for their services for the season.

Ben Scollick, who reached the rank of Lance Corporal in the Household Cavalry, recruits his security team from his old regiment, and his mixed bag of bouncers are all pictured on the Household Cavalry Instagram feed while on duty. Black Snow Security pay their bouncers just above minimum wage, so clearly Ben is enjoying the profits of this contract while protecting illegal fox hunters.

Licensed security are required by law to display their SIA licenses while carrying out “licensable acivities”. These activities include protecting property, providing security and gathering video footage for surveillance. Scollick’s “Black Snow” team do not display their badges while carrying out these licensable activities, and are in breach of section 9 of the Private Security Industry Act.

Ben Scollick, while serving in the Army in his 20s, once told a reporter in an interview that he would not hesitate to shoot someone if required. Why do the Fernie Hunt feel they need to hire trained killers to protect their hunt if they have nothing to hide?

Two Beaufort FH hounds killed as pack runs on railway again

24-1-20  Wilts & Glos Standard    Beaufort Hunt apologises after hounds killed by train in 'tragic accident'    A pair of hounds from Prince Charles' favourite Hunt were killed in what the Beaufort Hunt has described as a tragic accident. A spokesperson for the Hunt also apologised for any inconvenience caused by the incident.

Statement from a spokesperson from the Beaufort Hunt: “The Beaufort Hunt were trail-hunting on Saturday, 18th January, when it became apparent that a few hounds had deviated from the trail that they were following and managed to get through some temporary fencing alongside the railway. The hunt staff and hunt officials endeavoured to retrieve the hounds as quickly as possible, however two hounds were tragically struck by a train. There were no other injuries and we are grateful to the train driver for his support during this difficult time. We also want to apologise to anybody whose journey may have been delayed as a result of this incident. Those who care for the hounds on a daily basis are naturally very distressed, as would anybody be who has previously had to deal with a loss of their own pet. The hounds are the absolute priority for our staff and to lose them in this manner is devastating. The Hunt will, of course, fully cooperate with British Transport Police regarding this matter.”

A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “At 1.34pm on 18 January, officers were called to the railway near Alderton following a report that a train had struck dogs on the line. Officers attended and following enquiries, it is believed that two dogs had been struck and killed by a train. Enquiries continue in relation to this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact BTP by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 238 of 18/01.”

Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch, which follows the pack, said: "They are brazenly chasing foxes as usual, we had information that they were on cry, following fox, just before the incident. If they were genuinely following an artificial scent, why would they run amok across a train track, putting the safety of commuters and animals at risk all for the sake of a thrill?"

See also report in Birmingham Mail  

23-1-20  Facebook - Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch   Beaufort Hunt hounds killed on railway line    Poor hounds - an accident waiting to happen. They hunt near there frequently. They carried on hunting afterwards and then on Monday we caught them taking the hounds near the very fast A46 without a care for the pack. More to follow.

United FH filmed hunting on banned WT nature reserve

23-1-20   Shropshire Star     Fox hunt trespass on nature reserve sparks concern for wildlife on verge of extinction     Concerns about disturbance to wildlife on the verge of extinction has been raised after a fox hunt was spotted on a nature reserve on the Shropshire/Wales border.

A Hunt trespassed on Mason's Bank nature reserve, near Newcastle-on-Clun, this weekend according to Shropshire Wildlife Trust (SWT).

A member of the public captured video footage of horses and dogs on Mason's Bank, and the matter has been reported to the police. While the Hunt has not been identified, the Countryside Alliance said incidents like this are rare and Hunts work tirelessly to maintain good relations with landowners.

John Hughes, development manager at SWT, said Hunts are not allowed on its land because of the disturbance dogs and horses cause to wildlife. He said: "We were sent a video this weekend of a hunt which took place on our Mason's Bank nature reserve. It's so clear it's a nature reserve from the signage. As a trust we're quite neutral on fox hunting [!!!], we're not saying it's bad but we are saying please don't do it on our land because it causes so much disturbance to wildlife. It's incredibly rude and arrogant to just ignore the signs. In that part of the world there are birds that nest on the ground, some of which are close to extinction. Dogs and horses going across the land causes so much disturbance and puts them at risk."

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is encouraging the public to gather visual evidence and report any illegal activity they see on its land, and said it would push for prosecution in the future.

A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said: "As no specific Hunt can be identified and no evidence has yet been presented publicly, it would be inappropriate to comment beyond making it clear that registered Hunts across the country work tirelessly to maintain good relations with all landowners and members of the public. Incidents like this are incredibly rare and it is, of course, not the intention of any hunt to stray on to land where hounds are not permitted. Steps are taken by all packs to ensure that legal trail hunting activities only take place where permission of the landowner has been sought."

POWAperson comments - It is incredibly disappointing to have a Wildlife Trust being neutral on fox hunting. Not only is it cruel by design not only does it disturb and damage wildlife and the environment - it is illegal ! As usual the CA lies through its teeth This sort of thing happens all the time. Hunts go wherever their 'trail' – the fox – takes them, whether on banned land or road or railway.

Beaufort & or Glamorgan FH terriermen caught netting at mostly blocked sett  

23-1-20  Facebook - Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs [with Cirencester Illegal Huntwatch]   Beaufort and Glamorgan terriermen interfering with a badger sett - Terriermen try and bolt a fox into a net at a Beaufort hunt meet - Wednesday 22nd January 2020. Beaufort Hunt at Tormarton -Joint meet with the Glamorgan FH     In a covert just off Oake’s lane to start with where there was a blocked sett and a blocked rabbit warren. An anti was evicted physically from there whilst drinking a cup of tea by a man who got off his horse and said he was working for Mr Smith (the owner) , Mr Smith and 2 women in fluorescent jackets back to Oake’s lane. They avoided that area for a bit.

Pics above  -  Left - Terrierman with Patterdale near sett   Right - Terrierman's net designed to catch bolted fox. Terrierman is running away from sab    

Then several terriermen were lurking down a bank. The 3C sab present said. "Near the motorway we stopped to get a view of the hunt and I noted a badger sett at the bottom of the bank. Going down it to investigate further I found 4 men on a badger sett with a net over one entrance and other entrances filled in. They were clearly waiting for a fox to bolt into the net. I approached them and they packed up and ran to the quads which were parked nearby, there were no registration plates visible and the men were masked up. One had what I think was a Patterdale terrier under his arm. They ran away.

                                 Nabbed terriermen making off on their quads    

The Huntsman and hounds who were nearby drawing a covert also disappeared rapidly. On going back to the sett there were fresh spade marks and down one entrance some bright yellow substance was noted, it also had a strong smell soapy/disinfectant/lemony. I retrieved what were small yellow capsules which were melting in the damp earth and am looking into getting them analysed. They smelt very strong and out of concern for any badgers or foxes who may inhabit the sett I removed 8 of these capsules and believe them to be heavy duty cleaners placed in an entrance with the intention to stop any fox coming out of that entrance, or from going to ground in it or maybe some attempt to encourage a fox to leave. Stinking out setts and earths is well documented after all in old hunting texts.

                                  Container of bitumen left at a sett entry    

In the next field more sett entrances were found that had been blocked. It is not known as to which Hunt is responsible for putting noxious chemicals down the sett, could be Beaufort, could be the Glamorgan or, more likely, a joint enterprise.

This is thought to be within the Avon cull zone which has just undergone it’s first year of the badger cull. Avon and Somerset police and the Badger Trust have been notified".

                                   Mystery substance placed inside sett entry    

Nets are put over the entrances of holes so that we the fox bolts out of it they are captured within the net and are then shot, or in some cases released in front of hounds. we do not know what the intention was here.

They left the area and were hunting around Badminton until dark.

Please continue to support us paypal.me/threecountiessabs.

Fernie FH fox PM - killed by many tearing and crushing wounds 

22-1-20  Facebook - Peterborough Hunt Sabs    After the Fernie Hunt killed a fox at Kings Norton on the 18th of January 2020, we recovered the body and submitted it to a veterinary surgeon for a scientific analysis of the broken body. The report we have received, is below.

In June 2000, the Burns Inquiry Report concluded that the killing of foxes above ground, by hounds which have chased and caught it, compromises their welfare while causing suffering due to the traumatic and violent nature of death.

Supporters of hunting often argue that a fox may be killed by a "quick nip to the back of the neck". Post-mortem examinations such as the one attached here, show this is not the case. Rather, that death is caused by massive multiple injuries; disembowelling along with 'crushing and penetrating abdominal and chest injuries'.

Kings Norton fox was today laid to rest in a quiet corner of the countryside which is not hunted. He now is at peace, away from the huntsman's horn.

Sabs soon halt fun of Fourshire Bassets, then Old Berkeley Beagles

19-1-20  Facebook - Severn Vale Hunt Saboteurs    Fourshires Bassets - Charndon, Bucks & Old Berkeley Beagles – Middle Claydon, Bucks [Joint meet with the North Bucks Beagles] A tip off was received to say a hare hunt would be taking place on Claydon Estate (you can make your feelings about this known here, part of which is National Trust property.

We then received information to say another hare hunt would be taking place nearby. Our poor brown hare population is being decimated by barbaric louts.

We made our way towards Charndon on the Oxfordshire border and immediately spotted basset hounds on Windmill Hill owned by the Harpers.

We arrived around 12.30 just as the hounds went into cry and we split into two small groups to intervene. Both groups were with hounds as the pack had split, one group rated the hounds off a hare that escaped unscathed and they remained with the Huntswoman. Other sabs watched three hounds checking a hedge where we believe a hare had run to and the sabs used voice and horn calls to draw the hounds out of the hedge which worked perfectly.

The Huntswoman then gathered her hounds to pack up and made her escape. Berkshire Hunt Sabs then entered the field with their sabs on the top of the hill with a good view. It seemed that one hound was lost and hunt staff were looking for the poor basset.

The Fourshires are kennelled with the Old Berkeley Beagles who had met at Middle Claydon just a ten minute drive away. It became obvious that after we ruined one Hunt's day, they didn't want us going to their kennel mates hunt so the Fourshires messed around to try and distract us with horn calls but the hounds had gone home, minus a straggler. Berkshire sabs remained in the area just in case and we went on to visit the Old Berks.

                  Old Berkeley Beagles Huntsman - looking for his hedge fund?   

We drove past the basset meet at the Martin's Hill House Farm where supporters were returning. 

As soon as we arrived at Phoenix Fruit Farm (part of the aforementioned Claydon Estate) we saw a Whipper-in close to the road who got on his phone to say 'the anti's are here' and within seconds a couple of beagles ran on to the track and started speaking, indicating they were on the scent of a hare. We rated the hounds and due to us turning up, the whip rated the hounds and quickly marched away from us. As we entered a field the rest of the hunt and the beagles fell out of a hedge and together with sabs escorting them, made their way back to the meet. Supporters (around 40) glumly emerged from fields all around, their hare killing blood lust brought to an abrupt end.

It was clear this was a big, prestigious event. The Estate is home to the well connected Verney family.

Berkshire sabs took over from us to keep an eye on the area but the Hunt had well and truly packed up and we went back to check that the bassets hadn't sneaked back out. Several very muddy sabs then retired to the pub for a well deserved drink!

We travelled many miles today, please donate if you can https://www.paypal.me/severnvalesabs.

 Sab windscreen broken by rock hurled as pass Eggesford FH kennels  

19-1-20  Facebook - Devon County Hunt Saboteurs    Yesterday we had a good day sabbing the Torrington Farmers Hunt. Report to follow. On our way home we drove back past the Eggesford Hunt kennels at Wembworthy and opposite the entrance down to the kennels somebody chucked a rock at our windscreen. The vehicle was full of sabs at the time and we were driving along the road, so this could have ended badly. Our sabs are OK, but this is a dangerous escalation of the Eggesford's tactics. If they think this sort of thing deters us, they should have learnt by now that it only strengthens our resolve.

If you support what we do, please donate to our fuel and equipment fund: https://www.paypal.me/dchs. To get involved or send us confidential information, please message us on Facebook, email devoncountysabs@riseup.net or text 07717473305.

3 foxes chased by Warks FH, one into private garden 

19-1-20  Facebook - West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs    Warwickshire Hunt - Upper Quinton - Saturday 18th January 2020    On Saturday the Warwickshire Hunt had to resort to calling in farm workers from William Forsyths (husband of Warwickshire Hunt joint master Olivia Forsyth) farm to join the regular team of violent sociopaths led by Barbara Hester.

After meeting in Upper Quinton the Warwickshire Hunt headed straight over to Admington. Once in Admington they hunted down the Marchfont Brook and then the land surrounding Admington Hall. Owned by Mark Davies former Warwickshire Hunt director, Admington Parish Councillor and High Sheriff of Warwickshire. With sabs well positioned convicted hunting criminal and fox killer Will Goffe moved away across the road and in land to get away from sabs and ended up near Berryfields Farm.

Knowing he always finds a fox on the dismantled railway at Berryfields he headed straight for it and as if by magic the hounds picked up the scent of a fox and hunted it to Crimscote. Foot sabs were able to tell the team in the vehicle where the fox was heading which meant sabs arrived in Crimscote just as the lead hounds were trespassing all over someone's garden. By this point the fox had already escaped across the road and with sabs present the hunt moved back in land away from sabs back towards Berryfields. From there huntsman Goffe returned to Crimscote and then up to Preston on Stour.         

Goffe spent a while hunting at Sweet Knowle Aquatics which is owned by the Warwickshire Hunt supporting Harding family. A fox was hunted from Sweet Knowle Aquatics back down to Admington where they ended up at Bruton Farm, a regular meet for the Warwickshire Hunt and home of Amanda Wasdell a Clerk for Brailes Parish Council.

With the majority of the riders packed up and gone home Goffe took the pack and what was left of hunt back up to Preston on Stour where he hunted well into the darkness. A fox was seen running away from the the hunt and towards the village and got away safely.

The Warwickshire Hunt hate people donating to us online. You can really annoy them by clicking this link to donate. You can contact us with any information about the Warwickshire Hunt which is treated in the strictest confidence on 07767620767 by email at westmidlandhuntsabs@hotmail.co.uk or by PM.

No prosecution for monitor who planted tracker on car of huntswoman

Police say does not appear to have committed criminal offence 

18-1-20  Daily Telegraph    Legal loophole exposed after activist not prosecuted for 'planting' tracker on hunt vehicle     Countryside groups have called for tougher rules on the use of tracking devices after a huntswoman allegedly caught an anti-hunt activist planting one under her horse trailer.

The incident has prompted calls for the Home Office to close a loophole in the law after it emerged that the activist is to face no charges over the incident. Hunt supporters fear that could appear to give the green light to anyone to install a tracker on another person's car without consent and escape criminal prosecution.

Trackers are now easily available, cheap, and are used lawfully with the owner’s permission for tagging expensive cars, pets and even newly qualified young drivers. But there is potential for more sinister purposes to spy on individuals and find out their movements.

The legal loophole was identified after Mary Wynne-Jones, 68, from Market Drayton, interrupted a hunt monitor she claims was trying to fix a tracker to her Land Rover and trailer on her return from riding with the Wynnstay Hunt, which straddles the Cheshire and North Wales border, on December 6 last year. The woman claimed she was thinking about buying a trailer and wanted to see if she could manage one, before driving away.

But after inspecting her vehicle Mrs Wynne-Jones discovered a tracker in the chassis of the trailer and called the police. The female suspect then returned unexpectedly and is said to have admitted to Mrs Wynne-Jones and two police officers that she had placed the tracker. Mrs Wynne-Jones said: " She told me it was uncharacteristic and a spur of the moment thing."

But shortly before Christmas Mrs Wynne-Jones received a letter from North Wales Police stating: "As the female made it quite clear the alleged tracker was NOT placed there to commit theft, no crime has been committed." PC Perrin, of Rhos police station, who wrote the letter, added that various other offences had been considered "but these circumstances did not fit any." She disclosed however that details of the suspect and her vehicle had been circulated to officers from North Wales and Cheshire forces for future monitoring.

Mrs Wynne-Jones said" I really cannot believe this. I think it has to be an illegal act for someone to put a tracker on someone's vehicle without their consent. It was obviously intended to follow me so saboteurs could find out where I was going hunting which is a legal activity. This should be a criminal offence."

The woman identified by Mrs Wynne-Jones as allegedly planting the tracker denied doing so, but admitted to the Telegraph that she had considered such a course of action.

Speaking at her home the woman said: “I have thought about tracking – I’ve looked into it. It’s something we have considered. I honestly don’t know whether tracking a car is illegal. I think it’s a bit of a grey area. But I haven’t done it and I’m not aware of anyone who has.”

The 73 -year-old, who belongs to the Cheshire Monitors – which tries to expose illegal hunting in the county - added: “For us it’s about finding the Hunts that are hunting illegally. 85 percent of the population don’t want fox hunting. People like it less and less – they have the Hunts coming on to their private land and going into their villages and they don’t want them. The problem is that the 2004 Hunting Act has a lot of loopholes and they exploit them to the maximum.”

Trackers have been previously spotted on vehicles of hunt supporters and marksmen involved in the official badger cull, but this is thought to be the first time an alleged perpetrator has been caught in the act.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, who is contacting Home Secretary Priti Patel about the legal loophole, described the episode as "incredibly sinister and worrying." He said: "The repercussions go way beyond hunting. It is concerning that anyone could so easily be the victim of stalking. Most would agree this is a shocking violation of privacy which could put people in serious danger. Action needs to take place to address what looks like an unacceptable loophole."

North Wales Police declined to comment on a specific case but said in a statement: "A private individual placing a tracker on another person's vehicle is not in itself a criminal offence. However a course of such conduct may constitute a criminal offence in certain circumstances. If damage is caused or there is an intention to steal the vehicle, they would also be criminal offences."

Lawyers believe the criminal law has not caught up with the use of GPS trackers in Britain. Rupert Jones, a criminal barrister in Birmingham, said: "There is definitely a gap in the law. The vehicle interference offence only applies when the intention of the installer is that the car is to be stolen. The concerning situations are when someone installs a tracker to work out where someone lives, or what their daily habits are, with an intention of committing another offence against them or their property."

Nicholas Hall, a criminal barrister in London, said: "Given the increasing popularity of trackers, it may be new laws will be introduced in future to capture this specific type of behaviour." The Home Office declined to comment.

POWAperson comments  -  It is hard to argue that monitors should have carte blanche to go around planting trackers on hunt vehicles, but when they observe, time after time, Hunts not just exploiting loopholes in the Hunting Act but blatantly breaking the law by pretending to be trail hunting whilst going after live quarry very much as they did before the so-called ban, and especially when police refuse to even attempt to enforce the law and some actually facilitate Hunt law-breaking, how exactly are they supposed to obtain justice for the illegally hunted - and often killed - animals?

Sabs assaulted by Warks FH stewards as try to reach fox being killed 

17-1-20  Banbury Guardian    Sixth report on Warwickshire Hunt since December claims fox was killed by hounds in Oxhill - pictures   A fox was filmed reportedly being killed by hounds of the Warwickshire Hunt during a meet at Oxhill on Wednesday. West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs (WMHS) and other animal rights monitors who were taking video claim they were assaulted by the Hunt's ground crew who were attempting to prevent them approaching the scene of the killing.

                                             Fox being killed by hounds   

A spokesman for the saboteurs said: "On Wednesday, January 15 members of WMHS, Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch and an independent hunt monitor attended a meet of the Warwickshire Hunt in Oxhill. Whilst hunting just outside the village of Oxhill the Warwickshire hounds were seen killing a fox. A member of the Hunt can be seen wading into the middle of the pack of hounds and using his whip to move them off the fox. He can then be seen stepping on the body of the fox as one of the hounds goes back to the fox and attempts to drag the body out from under his boot [below]."

The saboteurs said the first thing they saw when they arrived was a fox running from the Hunt.

"The Warwickshire Hunt were ruthless and relentless in their hunting all day. In total there must have been six or seven foxes hunted throughout the day. At this time of year foxes are pairing up and mating so when they are hunted there are quite often two of them about together. Unfortunately one of those foxes was killed by the Warwickshire Hunt near Oxhill. We tried to get into the field to try to save the fox however we were assaulted and physically prevented from getting into the field by the Warwickshire Hunt stewards (who wear pink high-viz). One sab managed to run into the field only to be attacked and taken to the ground by one member of the Hunt [below]."

The group said members faced 'extreme provocation' all day from members of the Hunt especially as the fox was being killed. "The Warwickshire Hunt swiftly moved on to the next fox and within minutes were hunting another one. They hunted into the darkness and ended the day hunting on a blind bend on the busy A422 on Edgehill," the spokesman said. "The Huntsman then recklessly started blowing his horn on the road and caused the hounds to spill out all over the road and across to the other side. This was on a blind bend of a busy road as the light was fading. Hunting foxes is clearly more important than the safety of the hounds and horses. The fact that we were physically blocked from helping the fox speaks volumes. Most compassionate animal loving people would go out of their way to help any animal in distress, instead the Warwickshire Hunt not only stopped us getting to the fox but also attacked us and violently brought one of our group to the ground. This disgusting behaviour is completely unacceptable and extremely concerning."

Pics above  -  Sab being obstructed and assaulted by 'stewards'   

Warwickshire Hunt did not confirm or deny that a fox had been killed but they said that the protesters were aggressive to them. Police have been called in regards to the action of one man who allegedly made death threats. One of the women, who has requested to remain anonymous, said: "The verbal abuse I suffered on Wednesday as a result of those extremists is deeply upsetting and unacceptable on any level." She added: "I feel violated and frightened. These animal rights activists frequently publicise personal information and encourage others to attack. I am incredibly concerned for my safety."

In a statement, a spokesman for the Warwickshire Hunt said: "This disgusting behaviour is completely unacceptable. Irrespective of anyone's view on hunting, this behaviour is just plain wrong and extremely concerning."

The Countryside Alliance, a rural campaigning group, has also joined the condemnation. Polly Portwin, head of hunting, said: "Behaviour of this nature is deeply worrying and calls into question the tactics used by groups like this. We sincerely hope the police investigate this matter further."

Three reports of hounds being 'out of control' while out have been reported in the Banbury Guardian during December and three in January. On New Year's Day hounds got onto the main Birmingham to London railway near Fenny Compton and held up trains for 30 minutes. A Network Rail spokesman said: "One train (was) involved in the initial incident but overall 21 services were affected. The driver believed he struck a hound although no body was found by the British Transport Police following the incident. The train involved does have forward facing CCTV. Due to the ongoing investigation Network Rail cannot comment on the footage at this time. Network Rail has been liaising with the British Transport Police (BTP) and Chiltern Railways. We have provided an impact statement to the BTP investigators and we will continue to liaise with investigators."

Chiltern Railways spokesman Laura Jones said in a joint statement with Network Rail: "On New Year’s Day, dogs strayed onto the railway tracks and those responsible for them then trespassed onto the line between Leamington Spa and Banbury. This meant trains had to be stopped, causing disruption to passengers. No dogs were hit by a train and when their owners were told to leave the railway, they refused. Trespass is a serious risk to life and a criminal offence which causes unnecessary delays on the railway. We are in contact with British Transport Police and will fully support any action taken against those responsible.”

                                   Riders going round blind bend on an A road 

17-1-20   Facebook - West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs  VIDEO  Fox killed by the Warwickshire Hunt  On Wednesday 15th January West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs, Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch and an independent hunt monitor attended a meet of the Warwickshire Hunt in Oxhill. Whilst hunting just outside the village of Oxhill the Warwickshire hounds were seen killing a fox. A member of the Hunt can be seen wading into the middle of the pack of hounds and using his whip to move them off the fox. He can then be seen stepping on the body of the fox as one of the hounds goes back to the fox and attempts to drag the body out from under his boot.

The first thing we saw when we arrived at the Hunt was a fox running for it’s life across the road away from the Hunt. The Warwickshire Hunt were ruthless and relentless in their hunting all day. In total there must have been 6 - 7 foxes hunted throughout the day. At this time of year foxes are pairing up and mating so when they are hunted there are quite often two of them about together. Unfortunately one of those foxes was killed by the Warwickshire Hunt near Oxhill. We tried to get into the field to try to save the fox however we were assaulted and physically prevented from getting into the field by the Warwickshire Hunt stewards (who wear pink high-viz). One sab managed to run into the field only to be attacked and taken to the ground by one member of the Hunt.

We faced extreme provocation all day from members of the Hunt especially as the fox was being killed. The Warwickshire Hunt swiftly moved on to the next fox and within minutes were hunting another one. They hunted into the darkness and ended the day hunting on a blind bend on the busy A422 on Edgehill. The Huntsman then recklessly started blowing his horn on the road and caused the hounds to spill out all over the road and across to the otherside. This was on a blind bend of a busy road as the light was fading. Hunting foxes is clearly more important than the safety of the hounds and horses.

The fact that we were physically blocked from helping the fox speaks volumes. Most compassionate animal loving people would go out of their way to help any animal in distress, instead the Warwickshire Hunt not only stopped us getting to the fox but also attacked us and violently brought one of our group to the ground. This disgusting behaviour is completely unacceptable and extremely concerning. There has been a noticeable escalation in both blatant hunting and violence towards saboteurs at all of the hunts we have been to in recent weeks and this is deeply worrying.

The Warwickshire Hunt sees the countryside as their own personal playground and clearly does not see the Hunting Act with its many loopholes as a deterrent. The Hunting Act needs to be strengthened and all forms of hunting completely banned. Unfortunately we had to witness our wildlife being hunted and a fox lost its life because of the actions of the Warwickshire Hunt.

If you would like to help us stop any more foxes being killed by the Warwickshire Hunt please consider donating using this link – https://www.paypal.me/westmidlandhuntsabs. You can contact us in confidence about the Warwickshire Hunt on 07767620767 by emailing us at westmidlandhuntsabs@hotmail.co.uk or by PM.

Badsworth etc FH rider on road beats her spooked horse & verbally abuses sab 

16-1-20  Facebook - York Anti-Hunt League   09/01/20, Escrick    Violent kitten killers York & Ainsty / Badsworth & Bramham took to the busy road with animal abuser on horseback, repeatedly striking her horse when it became spooked by passing traffic. One of our team members got out of the vehicle and was verbally abused by “Mrs Poskitt” riding along with the rest of the Hunt. She had the cheek to hurl abuse at our monitor saying she was vile. Vile for trying to stop innocent wildlife being brutally & illegally torn to shreds by the Hunt?! It’s Laughable!

We desperately need more monitors in the field and we cannot do this without investing in a new vehicle to fit us all in. Please donate whatever you can to our funding page. Your support goes a long way in helping us stop these monsters! For more information on our funding page please visit our Facebook page!

Badsworth etc FH bully landowner trying to get at fox in his garden 

16-1-20  Facebook - York Anti-Hunt League    Kitten Killers York & Ainsty / Badsworth and Bramham -  Young horse been removed from paddock by its owner so it does not injure itself as the Hunt attempted to flush a fox out of a member of the public's garden. Hunt being aggressive with the landowner and questioning why they can't get onto their land to get the fox! No trail has been laid! Police on their way.

Villagers say Warks FH version of invasion of Hornton is lies

They are certain that hounds were chasing a fox

Mothers say they and children were frightened

One villager says he certain a hound was hit by a car

Quad bikes drove fast and dangerously though village

"The men on quad bikes were rude and dismissive"

Two Hunt 4x4s also drove around recklessly 

"It was like a wild-west cowboy stampede but with dogs," said one man  

13-1-20   Banbury Guardian    Hunt criticises report but Hornton villagers insist hounds were chasing a fox - Warwickshire Hunt has criticised a Banbury Guardian report on chaos when hounds followed a fox through Hornton at school collection time - But witnesses in different parts of the village have independently confirmed the details and are united in their condemnation of the hunt's behaviour     The incident happened just after 3pm last Wednesday when hounds appeared in the village after a fox ran through. Some dogs got distracted in the village and mothers with young children sought refuge in the playground and were told not to let children out. One mum said a hound had blood and 'flesh' in its mouth and that children - and mothers - were frightened.

The Hunt was contacted by the newspaper the following morning and responded on Friday. Its comments were included in the story which can be seen here.

However, on Sunday, the Hunt complained about factual errors. They said the Hunt was trail hunting and no hound was injured or had blood or flesh in its mouth. Any such claims were 'likely to be red mud from the ferrous soil in Hornton'. The spokesman said no hound was whimpering with fear; no 'pack' was in the school so therefore no 'babes in arms' were caught up in it. No children were 'rounded up' or 'locked in the playground'. No hound was hit by a car. And only two hounds were separated from the pack and needed to be collected by the quad bike staff.

"We are very concerned these articles are becoming increasingly partisan," she said. "Our fear is that the florid, incendiary and divisive language currently being used alongside the reporting of here-say (sic) as fact may end up provoking another tragic incident."

One villager wrote to the Banbury Guardian on Saturday. He said: "A hound was hit; the woman whose car hit it arrived as horses blocked Millers Lane outside my house and my wife was calling to one of the riders to get the hounds off my car. The pack fractured around the school; I heard the pack in full cry about two hundred yards from the school. There were two instances of shrieks of pain. I quickly moved the dogs along the green lane and about thirty seconds later saw six to eight emerge on to the allotments via my garden. I watched them cross the allotments, which they had accessed via my and my neighbours' gardens, using my car as a launch pad, into a donkey field whose owner has made plain was out of bounds to hunts and through another neighbour’s plantation to land beyond. There were no Whippers-in to be seen and the whole Hunt was spread across a square mile of mostly built up area. Men on quad pickups were racing at speed through the village. One lady and her grandson were nearly hit by two coming down Holloway (a track) who, when she remonstrated with them, said 'one of the hounds has been injured' to which she answered 'children are more important than dogs'."

The villager described the incident as 'an absolute joke'. "It was negligent, arrogant and a completely cowboy operation. To be active after 3pm in a village is the height of irresponsibility," he said. He said he thought the Hunt disorganised and shambolic, lacking discipline and trained personnel to control the pack. "It was like a wild-west cowboy stampede but with dogs," he said.

A young mother said: "I was leaving the village at 3.10pm there were two off road vehicles part blocking the road attempting to stop cars passing as a fox was running around and two hounds. The hounds were large, not responding to the men's calls and the hounds continued up the hill. I had to stop the car four times because the hounds were running around the road or stopping. One had what appeared to be bloodied flesh in its jaw. Two large 4x4 cars did a U-turn in the road and began chasing the hounds who then ran into the nearby fields. These cars were also behaving quite dangerously. For people on foot it was scary; the hounds are large, looked very determined and would not respond to any commands."

Another mother who was at the school at the time said: "A hound that was outside the school gates had a big cut or hole in its leg with blood running down it and howling. The head and chair of governors were outside the gates. One of the teachers told everyone to keep the gates closed and not let any child out."

A third mum, who reported the incident to the police, said: "No one in the village has any reason to lie. They were out of control. The men on quad bikes were rude and dismissive. They said 'this is the countryside; get used to it'. It all went on for ten to fifteen minutes and a number in the village are very angry. It was thoroughly unpleasant. A friend saw the fox go up the path and a number of riders went as well. We saw the fox and multiple dogs. It is hard to believe they were not hunting that fox. If they can't control the dogs they shouldn't be trail hunting."

Eggesford FH hounds riot on livestock as Huntsman loses them for an hour

Owner of land banned to Hunt struggled to keep them off his sheep

Earlier, Hunt chased fox to ground - later sabs pulled hounds off another

12-1-20   Facebook - Devon County Hunt Saboteurs    Eggesford Hunt 11.1.2019   Yesterday we sabbed the Eggesford who met at Goldburn, south of Jacobstowe. We know the area well: one long boggy valley full of deer, difficult to traverse for horses and sabs on foot. However, we had four foot teams out who persevered despite heavy wind and rain and kept tabs on the hunt all day, with many foxes seen to safety.

Jason Marles began by riding along the road north from the meet and entering hounds at the Jacobstowe end of the valley that runs back towards the meet. Immediately hounds picked up on the scent of a fox and ran south where they eventually marked a fox to ground near Parsonage Wood. Several foot sab teams were on hand to rate the hounds and spray the line of another fox seen fleeing from the area [below].

Eventually the hounds turned back north from Great Stewardstone and got onto another line in the junction of several streams, this time hunting back north. Jason had become separated from the pack and eventually resurfaced on the road near West Risdon, asking supporters if they knew which way his pack had gone.

It took him the next hour to find the hounds, who had chased a fox across the road south of Jacobstowe down towards the main River Okement. Jason decided to ditch his horse and jump on the back of a quad to look for his hounds.

It became apparent that the land the hounds were on was somewhere the Hunt did not have permission to be. The landowner shouted to keep the hounds away from his sheep, but small groups of hounds were rioting all over the place, spooking not only sheep, but large groups of ponies and other animals that were caught up in the chaos. With Jason driving around looking busy on the road between Jacobstowe and Exbourne, sabs decided to step in and gather some of the rioters. Horn and voice calls were used to good effect to collect up most of the pack. Eventually Jason arrived on foot and, with no word of thanks to sabs for doing his job for him, took the pack back to the road.

                                                 Less than friendly natives   

The assembled hunt headed off towards West Risdon and we assumed they'd try their luck somewhere different but hounds were entered yet again into the same long valley they had hunted pretty much all day. This time Jason cast them out amongst some tree saplings on the edge of Lamerton Coverts. A fox bolted from the woods and was chased by hounds towards Parsonage Wood and further south towards Great Stewardstone. Three foot teams were on hand to stop them in their tracks: one team running after the hounds and directing other sabs to strategic points ahead of them, another rating hounds further on as they tried to squeeze through a narrow run under a fence (this caused Jason to lose his shit and drag one sab away by the harness of his body cam), and another team stopping the hounds again a few fields away. Thanks to effective intervention from sabs, the pack had well and truly lost the scent, much to Jason's frustration. That was enough for him to call it a day at just after 3pm.

If you support what we do, please consider donating to our fuel and equipment fund:- https://www.paypal.me/dchs. To send us confidential information or get involved, message us on Facebook, email devoncountysabs@riseup.net or text 07717473305.

Two foxes seen to safety by sabs from Cambridge FH   

12-1-20  Facebook - South Cambs Hunt Saboteurs    Hit Report 11/01/2020 - Cambridge Hunt with Enfield Chace, Crooked Billett Farm, nr Hatley St George    We were joined by Cambridge, Suffolk & Essex, Norwich, East Herts Sabs and Herts Wildlife Monitors this morning to hit our most local Hunt.

It was our first day out today in our shiny new (second hand) sab vehicle - so once again we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated towards this and to the Hunt Saboteurs HSA for their support.

After spotting us, the Hunt milled around for a while at the meet and eventually sent a 'trail layer' out - a woman on a horse wearing a hi-vis vest, that literally had 'trail layer' written on the back. At no point did we see any actual trail being laid however, and for most of the day she was nowhere near the hounds.

Oddly, the Hunt hacked East over to Hayley Wood and spent almost the entire day, around three hours, in a very small area back and forth around this wood. Deer and hare were seen fleeing through the day and there were two very close calls where hounds went into cry after foxes and almost killed. Thankfully sabs were close by to help. This seems even more strange if you recall that the hunt are claiming to be trail hunting.

Sabs found dead pheasants in this wood, clearly placed to attract foxes, again clear evidence of illegal hunting. Police were around all day, we assume called by the hunt but were only interested in checking sabs vehicles and not in illegal hunting or illegal road use by the hunt quad.

At one point a quad was on a public road with three people on it, and came within inches of hitting a hound. Sabs showed the police video of the quad, but they were, as usual, uninterested.

The Hunt eventually headed back to the meet after a short detour. With sabs in sight of the Hunt all day we are positive they didn't kill, though not for lack of trying.

Sabs help save fox as Cottesmore FH abandon pretence of trail hunting 

12-1-20  Facebook - Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs     Cottesmore Hunt 11/01/2020 - Wymondham, Leicestershire     Apologies for a belated hit report from a very busy group. Yesterday saw the Cottesmore Hunt continuing to illegally hunt foxes around the Wymondham area with our friends from Northants Hunt Saboteurs.

After most riders had drunk several glasses of something strong, Mr Edwards [above] took his pack of hounds north from the meet, accompanied by sabs, towards Coston Covert. Where he met more sabs. Edwards responded by turning east towards Sewstern Grange where he spent approximately 20 minutes casting his hounds in areas likely to contain foxes such as scrub, hedgerows and small spinneys before (surprise) he put up a fox which bolted west past a groups of sabs towards Wymondham and Marriots Spinney. The sabs, hearing the Huntsman's horn calls encouraging the hounds on, quickly covered the animal's line with citronella ahead of Huntsman Edwards arriving with his baying dogs just 1 minute later.

It worked and the hounds lost the scent for around 2 minutes as Edwards recast them. This also gave the other 3 groups of sabs precious time to regroup and get ahead of the hunt. The chase continued south west towards the disused railway line east of Wymondham where the hounds fortunately lost the scent.

                                          Cottesmore Charm School graduates  

Faced with more sabs converging on his position Edwards this time decided that discretion is the better side of valour and didn’t recast the hounds again.

After second horsing, Edwards took his dogs back along the disused railway line (obviously an area likely to contain foxes) before heading towards back towards Sewstern Grange. We have documented in past reports that Edwards will often return to an area he has previously unsuccessfully hunted a fox in. He was unsuccessful again as multiple groups of sabs were able to tag team each other to keep tabs on his movements as he half-heartedly cast his hounds through scrub.

One thing we have noticed with this Hunt is that they have dropped the pretence of “trail hunting.” They no longer have a lackey dragging a crudely modified whip around in a pathetic attempt to convince the authorities and the public that they are acting lawfully. They also never could answer any sensible questions, some of them from Leicestershire Police, regarding the finer points of trail hunting such as what substance is used or why they lay them across roads, through thick gorse and down badger setts. Nice to see you’ve dropped the charade Cotty.

                            Terrier can't wait to get on with the fence mending 

The last action of the day saw Edwards cross The Drift and head for Gunby Gorse, again under our watchful eye, before heading north along another dismantled railway towards the Sewstern Road. He hunted the area north of the Sewstern Road in an easterly direction towards Stainby Warren where, with darkness slipping quietly over the countryside, he finished with no kills. The Cottesmore today had no “sport,” despite their best efforts.

We did witness a terrierman with a terrier dog in a box on his quad. Apparently the animal is his “pet” and has nothing to do with illegal fox hunting. The long handled shovel on his quad must be a pet too.

Terriermen, just like the pack of hounds, the blocked badger setts, the point riders, the “hunting on” horn calls, Edwards activity of putting hounds into areas likely to contain foxes, the thugs who try to keep us away from the action are all concomitant to illegal fox hunting.

We were able to deploy our new vehicle today thanks to help from the Hunt Saboteurs Association and our supporters and a big thank you for that. To our supporters, have a good Sunday. To wildlife criminals, we are watching you. HHS.  https://ko-fi.com/hhsabs

Woman sab attacked by Oakley FH supporter, her camera smashed 

12-1-20  Facebook - Beds & Bucks Hunt Sabs    A timely tip off from one of our spotters allowed to catch up with the Oakley right on their northern boundary at a farm between Chelveston and Stanwick. It would appear to have been a joint meet, we noticed people from what we thought was the old but now defunct Woodland Pytchley hunt, they've had joints meets before and their Huntsman George Whittaker was there.

As is usual in these cases Oakley Hunt Master Simon Paynter seems to grow a pair and show off in front of the new people. However regardless of his attempts to stop us we carried on regardless and at no time during the day were the hunt out of our sight.

So pathetic were they that they hunted the same Newton Spinney 3 times and resorted to drawing the hedges right next to the roads. We wonder how much hunt country they have left, everyone seems to hate them.

The hounds did riot after a deer at one point but sabs were in position to intervene and do what sabs do. The hunt support were getting quite aggressive, one old duffer attacked one of our sabs with his walking stick, smashing her camera.

They created chaos on the roads as both riders and hounds milled about and caused a danger to the general public going about their business. Their arrogance knows no bounds.

Simon "Shaky" Hand, the Huntsman, was clearly under pressure to provide some sport but we made sure that wasn't going to happen and kept him on a tight leash for the whole day.

They finally jacked it in around 3:35pm having been comprehensively out manoeuvred by our vehicle and foot teams. Their pathetic attempts to stop us from saving lives utterly thwarted. A long but successful day.

One fox killed by Belvoir FH, sabs help others to safety  

11-1-20   Facebook - Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs     We were out today with Lincoln Hunt Sabs to visit the Belvoir Hunt who met at Granby Lodge in the Vale of Belvoir. As predicted they moved south from the meet to their favourite Jericho Covert. Sabs were close behind them and saw a fox break East once the hounds had passed. Unusually they didn't hang around here for long and pushed on to the disused railway line to the South where hounds quickly went into cry. Sabs shadowed them as they headed north before huntsman John Holliday gathered his pack and headed into Redmile Village.

He spent the rest of the morning hunting the area South of Barkstone and Plungar and multiple foxes were seen by sabs fleeing from the Hunt. He then gradually moved back towards Plungar where we knew he'd second horse and again hunted his pack along the canal and disused railway, pushing foxes out but hounds struggling to pick up a scent due to the strong wind.

He second horsed on the edge of Plungar and, as we knew he would, headed towards Granby Gap and the large landlocked area around Langer airfield. Sabs were already in there waiting for him and tracked him as he zigzagged across the land. Hounds intermittently went into cry but sabs were able to keep a close eye until, when coming into a field after the Hunt, they noticed a red coat off his horse. When they went to investigate they discovered a still warm fox that had just been killed by the hounds. They retrieved the body and watched as John continued to hunt his pack onto fresh scents looking for another kill.

Sabs continued to track him along the disused railway lines that criss-cross the area for the next 45 minutes before they packed up unusually early at 3.45pm back in Plungar.

                                                One of the foxes that escaped   

It breaks our hearts that they killed today but sabs saw at least six foxes fleeing from the Hunt and we know they would have killed far more if we hadn't been there. Such disgusting acts by the Hunt only make us more determined. Please support us: https://ko-fi.com/nottshuntsabs.

Heavily sabbed Surrey U FH hounds show no interest in trails laid 

11-1-20  Facebook - Reading Hunt Saboteurs    Today Reading Sabs met up with Guildford and North Downs Sabs and Surrey Hunt Monitors to visit the Surrey Union hunt at Thursley. With approximately 25 of us we outnumbered the Hunt by around double, and they had little or no support out for most of the day.

After setting off across Thursley Common we managed to predict their movements to stay on top of them as they circled around their usual haunts at Truxford and Stockbridge Ponds.

The Hunt actually had trail layers out with them today, but what's interesting is how little attention the hounds pay to the trail. Huntsman Andrew Hazeltine had to constantly try to push the hounds on to the scent and they seemed completely disinterested and barely went into cry for more than a few seconds. At one point around Houndown, the trail layers set off and the hunt soon followed, trying to encourage the hounds in the direction of the false scent - but the hounds were clearly more interested in a natural scent they must have picked up. With sabs watching their every move, we could hear the panic in his voice as he desperately called the hounds back to him and tried to push them onto the false scent. It's days like today that we know just our presence alone prevents the hunt from killing animals. Had sabs not been there, they would have no doubt much enjoyed the thrill of live quarry.

Happy that the Hunt were (badly) following trails point-to-point, no intervention was required by us today. Our role in these rare situations is to simply monitor the Hunt to ensure they keep up the trail-laying, and be ready to intervene should the hounds start to pursue any wildlife. Our only goal as hunt sabs is to ensure no animals are killed - making today a success ��

We had plenty of support today in the form of dog walkers and hikers, asking if we're there to stop the hunt and cheering us on. When we spend so much time around hunts and their support it's easy to forget that the majority of people do not support fox hunts. At one point we even spared some time to help reunite a lost dog with their grateful owner.

Around 2pm the Hunt packed up, allowing us to finish earlier than usual and make it to the pub for a drink before heading back to Reading before 5pm.

As a completely volunteer organisation Reading are still fundraising for our own vehicle. If you are able to help us achieve this goal then you can donate to us here: https://chuffed.org/project/RHS-vehicle. Or you can publicly show your support for hunt sabs by buying merchandise: https://www.facebook.com/258590628154523/posts/432376027442648/.

Stockport monitors say some media reports of arrests very overblown  

10-1-20  The Canary     Hunt monitors say right-wing media coverage of their arrest is ‘absolutely’ blown out of proportion    On 4 January, Cheshire Police arrested eight hunt saboteurs on suspicion of assault and possession of an offensive weapon. But one of those arrested told The Canary that media reporting of the incident spun what actually happened on the day “out of proportion”.

Mass arrest - Cheshire Hunt Saboteurs broke the news that Cheshire Police sent numerous vehicles and officers to arrest “monitors” attending the Cheshire Hunt:- “Police have just arrested a car full of monitors and a sab due to the Hunt making an 'allegation'. The Hunt pursued a fox in front of the police whilst making arrests to which they responded 'were busy'. The police brought 14 vehicles to make arrests.”

Cheshire Police confirmed to the Telegraph that it had arrested seven men “on suspicion of assault and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place”. It also arrested an eighth man on suspicion of a public order offence.

The following day, Cheshire Against Blood Sports posted a video showing hounds in cry, following a scent, within sight of the arrest. The group said that Huntsman Jake Oppenheim arrived at the location “A full five minutes later”, describing him as “clearly not in control of the hounds”.

“Pardon?!” On 7 January, the Telegraph reported that there were “angry confrontations” between Stockport Monitors and hunt supporters and that an “offensive weapon” was found inside the group’s car. It also quoted a spokesperson for the Hunt, saying saboteurs were carrying out an “‘ongoing campaign’ of harassment and abuse”. And talkRADIO repeated these claims, adding that there was an “abusive and violent tirade”. But Paul Allman of Stockport Monitors told The Canary that media coverage was at odds with what happened.

Allman said that a “heavy-duty bike chain” with a padlock was inside the Land Rover, along with a dog leash, but denied anyone used them threateningly. He said the group uses chains to secure closed gates, preventing hunt trespass. Allman summed up the incident and ensuing media coverage:- “They absolutely blew it right out of proportion. To be honest with you, I’m quite shocked as to the level they’ve gone to with it. … When all the footage actually comes out you’ll be like, “What? Is that it?”

Cheshire Police bailed Allman and seven other men on condition they don’t attend hunts in England and Wales. However, the police haven’t yet charged anyone. The group previously made the news in October 2019 after the Daily Mail published a video showing the group arguing with a woman on her property.

The other incident - On the same day as the Stockport Monitors’ arrest, Bath Hunt Saboteurs were subject to serious harassment by two people on a quad bike during a meet of the Avon Vale Hunt. This made national headlines including the Independent and Daily Mail on 7 January. The Telegraph, however, only reported on the Stockport Monitors’ arrest.

Polly Portwin, hunting spokesperson for lobby group Countryside Alliance, said the Cheshire Hunt “operate entirely legally” and that “the consistently abusive and anti-social behaviour of these activists is disgraceful”. But during late 2018 and early 2019, anti-hunting activists claimed the Cheshire Hunt illegally killed five foxes. Meanwhile, Cheshire Against Blood Sports also revealed on 8 January that Huntsman Oppenheim admitted to aggressive behaviour towards a hunt monitor after he threatened “to ram a bottle down her throat”.

Blackmore FH chase foxes all day despite police warning 

9-1-20  Facebook – Somerset Wildlife Crime   VIDEO   The Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt 14/12/19    One thing that is evident, foxes were chased repeatedly during the day. An emboldened Huntsman following the election result wasn't afraid to perform right in front of our cameras, monitors from SWC & Hounds Off.

                                     First fox of day to be chased by hounds   

9-1-20  Facebook - Somerset Wildlife Crime    Check back in later to see our video of the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt from 14/12/19, a day where monitors from SWC and Hounds Off witnessed no less than six foxes running, either chased by hounds or disturbed by them. This beauty was lucky to run straight to monitors cameras and was seen to safety. No kills believed to have occurred during the day.