LACS accused of 'spying' on hunters at Royal Cornwall Show

14-6-10  Western Morning News   Animal welfare activists used Royal Cornwall Show parade to 'spy' on hunters Animal welfare activists used the Royal Cornwall Show to spy on the county's hunting community, it emerged yesterday.

The League Against Cruel Sports announced on the pages of social-networking Twitter on Saturday that members would be attending the show saying: "What a stunning day to watch the parade of hounds and photograph the hunters for ID purposes."… The Scorrier-based Four Burrow Hunt was among those to take part. Its chairman Jim Pascoe said while he didn't like "the idea very much" there was nothing that could be done. We have absolutely nothing to hide and if they want to take photographs of us they are welcome, as is any other member of the public," Mr Pascoe said…   [no longer online]

 Rare anti-hunting aristo, Duke of Hamilton dies aged 71

6-6-10   Sunday Telegraph    The 15th Duke of Hamilton and 12th Duke of Brandon, who died on Saturday aged 71, was uncomfortable in his role as Premier Peer of Scotland and hereditary Keeper of Holyroodhouse Palace, the Queen's official residence in Scotland... Angus Douglas-Hamilton – the Marquess of Clydesdale as he then was – spent his earliest years with his grandmother, Nina, Duchess of Hamilton, who was a passionate animal rights campaigner and left him with a lifetime aversion to cruelty to animals. He was educated at Eton and at Oxford, where he took a degree in Engineering...

The Duke found happiness, however, in his third marriage, in 1998, to Kay Carmichael, a former nurse and animal rights campaigner. He joined her campaigns, banning hunting on his estate, and boycotting Jenner's, the Edinburgh department store, until such time as it ceased to sell paté de foie gras...

The Duke is survived by his wife and by two sons and two daughters from his first marriage. The heir to the Hamilton titles is the eldest son, Alexander Douglas Hamilton, Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale, who was born in 1978.

Drag hunt to be set up in Scottish highlands

29-5-10  Horse & Hound  Hunting supporters set up new Highlands drag hunt   Scottish hunting supporters, tired of eight-hour round trips to meets, have set up a new drag hunt in the Highlands. The Highland Drag hunt will hold its opening meeting in September and is currently advertising for a Huntsman…    [no longer online] 

Hunting Act repeal vote to be delayed at least a year

Cameron makes 'country sports' a Ministerial brief 

20-5-10   Metro   Free vote to scrap hunting ban ‘will go ahead’ despite Lib Dem opposition Cabinet ministers have agreed to hold a free vote on scrapping the hunting ban, despite fierce opposition from a number of Liberal Democrat MPs. A free vote to scrap the fox hunting ban is set to go ahead despite opposition Cabinet ministers have agreed to the vote, despite fears that it could cause a problem within the newly formed coalition. However, a move to scrap the hunting ban, a Conservative manifesto pledge, is likely to be delayed for up to a year as ministers do not wish to portray fox hunting as a priority during the economic downturn. The delay would cause widespread disappointment among hunt supporters, many of whom voted Tory in an attempt to have the ban lifted by the beginning of the hunting season this Autumn.

Agriculture Minister Jim Paice will now be responsible for country sports – including hunting and shooting – the first time a dedicated minister has been appointed for decades. Last night a spokesman for the Countryside Alliance told the Daily Mail: ‘We fully understand Government has more important issues to deal with at the moment. ‘But we expect the manifesto commitment to be delivered during the Parliament and have had assurances all the way from the top that this will happen.’

22-5-10    Exeter Express & Echo   Pledge for early vote on hunt ban repeal shelved    The Government's promise of a vote on a possible repeal of the hunting ban is set to be dropped from the Queen's Speech. In a sign that the policy - a key plank of the Conservative election pitch for rural votes — has been shelved, government sources admit that it is "no longer a priority"…. As a compromise, the coalition agreement this week pledged to allow MPs to vote on whether or not a substantive motion on repeal should be brought forward…    [no longer online]

20-5-10  Plymouth Herald   Compromise expected on Tory pledge on hunting ban   Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is expected to outline her policy priorities later today amid claims that a promised Commons vote to repeal the Hunting Act has been "kicked into the long grass"… "It is still very early days," South West regional director Alison Hawes said…. a spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports claimed the move for a preliminary vote would allow the Government to "park" the issue …

15-5-10   Daily Telegraph   Relief but unease among Tory grassroots at new coalition   ... More serious issues for concern which could soon become the focal points for rebellion by MPs and Tory members in the country are also starting to crystallise.

The totemic issue of foxhunting is at the forefront of these. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that the delivery of a hallowed pledge to offer MPs an early vote on overturning Labour's ban, hated in the Tory ranks, may be delayed because of the terms of the coalition deal.

Hunt supporters who poured into marginal seats to help get Tories elected are demanding urgent talks with the new Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman to clarify the position. Ms Spelman said last night she would set out her position on the issue in the next few days.

The promise to make time for a government bill to reverse the ban was a key concession to traditionalists as they bought into the more difficult elements of the Cameron modernising regime...

Taunton Vale FH hunter convicted after drove quad into monitor 

19-5-10   Email from monitor    Attached are the details of the fines etc. for the quadbike incident. It is likely although not admitted that some charges were dropped or down graded because he came 'quietly'. Apparently there is a 'newish' fast track system where the aim is speed through case where there is little dispute on the evidence - and this was on video! I am told the Hunt (Taunton Vale Foxhounds) immediately banned him and someone 'suggested' he 'voluntarily' visit the police station.

Hunt supporters demand to see DEFRA Sec re. HA repeal

15-5-10    Sunday Telegraph    Relief but unease among Tory grassroots at new coalition    ... More serious issues for concern which could soon become the focal points for rebellion by MPs and Tory members in the country are also starting to crystallise.

The totemic issue of foxhunting is at the forefront of these. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that the delivery of a hallowed pledge to offer MPs an early vote on overturning Labour's ban, hated in the Tory ranks, may be delayed because of the terms of the coalition deal.

Hunt supporters who poured into marginal seats to help get Tories elected are demanding urgent talks with the new Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman to clarify the position. Ms Spelman said last night she would set out her position on the issue in the next few days.

The promise to make time for a government bill to reverse the ban was a key concession to traditionalists as they bought into the more difficult elements of the Cameron modernising regime...

APRIL 2010

….. 28th April - Affected woman's film reveals the hidden cost of hunting

….. 25th April - Brian May launches 'Save Me' campaign to stop HA repeal

….. 22nd April - Fox hunting Tory Councillor attracts rant from Brian May

….. 21st April - CA CEO Tory candidate attacked over £45k gift from Hunt Master

….. 20th April - Ascot racecourse stages CA sponsored 'Race for Repeal'

….. 18th April - Woman hunt monitor has dead badger dumped on drive

….. 14th April - Cotley Harriers woman follower cautioned for abusing female monitor 

….. 12th April - Tories & CA don't turn up to debate hunting on BBC 'Politics Show'

…..  8th April - Hunt in Cheshire chases fox into housing estate

…..  2nd April - Cameron reaffirms intent to try to repeal Hunting Act

…..  1st April - LACS rapped by Charity Commission for party partiality 

…..  1st April - Gyrocopter passenger says supporter who died swung punch at him

…..  1st April - Tory candidate for Worcester denies heavy support from Vote OK

Fox hunting Tory Councillor attracts rant from Brian May

22-4-10   Daily Mail   'You snivelling little dweeb!' Rock star Brian May's rant at fox-hunting Tory   Brian May has described a senior Tory councillor as a ‘pathetic, arrogant, snivelling little dweeb’ in an extraordinary clash over fox hunting. The Queen guitarist threatened to have David Parsons’ ‘guts for garters’, after the leader of Leicestershire County Council condemned the ‘cosseted London rock star’ for launching an anti-hunting campaign.

May, 62, has founded the ‘Save Me’ poster campaign to stop the ban on fox hunting being overturned if a Tory Government is elected. He has urged voters to find out how their candidates stand if MPs have a free vote on the matter after the General Election, as David Cameron has proposed.

Mr Parsons [below right], a Tory leading light, attacked May – who lives in the countryside in Surrey – in a letter to a newspaper. In an impassioned defence of the Quorn Hunt, which has operated in Leicestershire for more than 300 years, Mr Parsons said: ‘I fear people in rural communities are not going to take lectures from a cosseted London rock star.’

As soon as May heard about the comments in the Leicester Mercury, he posted an abusive tirade on his website alongside a picture of the councillor. He labelled Mr Parsons a ‘disgrace’ and threatened to have his ‘guts for garters’ if the pair came within ‘sniffing distance’.

‘How dare you presume to judge me, and insult me? You don’t know anything about me, little man,’ May said. May said he had been deluged with letters of support from people in rural areas saying the hunt was a ‘menace’. Afterwards, May said he was ‘normally Mr Nice Guy’ but would not tolerate personal attacks. He added: ‘I’ve been around a long time and I can usually ignore abuse such as this but David Parsons crossed the line. 'I live in the countryside, I grew up with very little money. I don’t need someone to lecture me about the realities of life.’ He denied his criticisms were politically motivated, adding: ‘I’ve voted Conservative many times, and I’m a floating voter at this election.’

Last night a source at Leicestershire County Council said: ‘We are surprised at the sudden display of histrionics from Brian. We thought it was high time that someone defended the tradition of the countryside and the rural economy.’

May grew up in Feltham, West London. He lives with his wife, former EastEnders actress Anita Dobson, 62. He received a CBE for services to the music industry in 2005. Mr Parsons, 59, also has a CBE. Since he became leader of Leicestershire council in 2003, it has been credited with achieving coveted four-star status under a government assessment.

Woman hunt monitor has dead badger dumped on her car

18-4-10   Email from female monitor   This poor dead badger [see pics below] was left on our property, next to Paul's car. It did not die in the lane with someone pulling it to one side and out of the way. There was no blood and no dragging marks. I have reported it to the police - they are calling back to do an intelligence report, which will also be sent to the inspector involved with the intimidation towards us. It is still there now, I cannot tell how it has died.

 20-4-10  Western Daily Press    Dead badger 'warning over my hunt battle'   An alleged campaign to intimidate an animal rights campaigner in Somerset has taken a morbid twist, with a dead badger left on her drive. Helen Weeks, an anti-hunt monitor, discovered the badger over the weekend. She has installed CCTV cameras at her home after dead foxes were left on her drive, and the rear windscreen of her car was smashed. She said: "1 know it is meant 'to intimidate me." Mrs Weeks said she has reported it to the police, who are investigating,

POWAperson adds  -  The monitor concentrates very heavily on the Cattistock FH and lives inside their hunt country.  

Cotley Harriers woman follower summonsed for abusing female monitor

A year before same person was cautioned for assaulting her and another monitor 

14-4-10    Email from female hunt monitor   The unnamed women, 2008-9 of the Cotley Harriers, who was given a caution for assaulting Graham and myself, is called Cathy Gallagher. Today, I had a call from Axminster police, informing me that the charming Cathy Gallagher had received a summons to court for shouting, "Helen, you old cunt", at me on Boxing Day while Graham and I were monitoring, just under a year from her original assault which resulted in a 7 year caution. As she pleaded guilty, (I had her on film, so she didn't have much choice) it will not go to trial. She is a vicious woman who cannot control her temper. The police officer dealing with the offence warned me to be alert in case of retaliation.

Tories & CA don't turn up to debate hunting on BBC 'Politics Show'

12-4-10   Western Morning News   Tories refuse to talk hunting on BBC politics programme    The Conservatives were last night accused of being "embarrassed" by their policy on hunting, after not one Westcountry candidate would appear on television to discuss the issue. BBC South West's flagship programme The Politics Show invited election hopefuls from each of the main parties to take part in a debate on the ban on hunting with dogs. But not one Tory, from Somerton and Frome to St Ives, was willing to take part, which a BBC source described as "unprecedented"…

The Countryside Alliance had also been expected to take part in the programme but later pulled out. The Conservatives have become nervous about speaking in public about their plans to hold a free Commons vote on repealing the Hunting Act…  [story no longer online]

Hunt in Cheshire chases fox into housing estate

8-4-10   Northwich Guardian    Hunt is not above the law   CLEARLY again we see the hunting ban has not stopped Hunts going out with a load of dogs out of control, this time invading Delamere Park Estate, along with riders, quad bikes and followers in pursuit of their victim – a fox this time They should not of course be following the scent of an animal at all but be on a drag hunt where a scent trail is left (not of an animal) which takes the dogs, the riders and the followers over a safe route not crossing roads, railway lines or housing estates.

Recently dogs from the Beaufort Hunt were killed by a train as they too were not following the drag hunt scent trail but were chasing a fox The man in charge of the Hunt causing trouble in Delamere said it had never happened before – which I think is what all Hunts say since the hunt ban - but of course I don’t believe it. Hunts continue to behave as though they are above the law, encouraged by a legal system that continues to treat them as if they are.

NICKY BROOKS, Billinge Green  [Letter no longer available online]

Tory candidate for Worcester denies heavy support from Vote OK

1-4-10  Worcester Standard  Tory candidate denies hunting group link    THE CONSERVATIVE candidate for Worcester has denied he is receiving significant support from a group who want to bring back hunting with dogs. The city’s Labour MP Mike Foster has called for his Conservative opponent Robin Walker to come clean about the support he was getting from pro-hunt group Vote OK… Mr Walker said he had not received the letter as The Standard went to press, and insisted he was not trying to use fox hunting to boost his campaign. “As with all other political parties we have the help of volunteers to deliver our leaflets, which incidentally have no mention of fox hunting in whatsoever,” he added. “Yes there may be some volunteers who are also part of Vote OK but to say we are flooding the city with them is completely untrue… [article no longer online]

POWAperson adds  -  The Labour candidate, Mike Foster, was, of course, the MP who brought in a Private Members Bill in 1998 to ban hunting with hounds. It passed 2nd reading with a record majority, but was then blocked, as many PMBs are. However, the failure of the Labour government to adopt it was very disappointing, especially as it would have outlawed hunting far more effectively that the Hunting Act we ended up with 6 years later.  

MARCH 2010

….. 30th March - Vote OK will be out in force to support pro-hunt election candidates

….. 26th March - Vote OK will be out in force to back pro-hunt election candidates

….. 26th March - Essex & Suffolk FH chase fox thru village in 'flagrant' law breach

….. 26th March - Drag hound dogs chase spaniel into lake in Skegness

….. 24th March - Quantock SH Huntsman charged with illegal hunting for 2nd time

….. 24th March - Motorist sees Hunt chasing fox on and across A433 in Gloucs

….. 23rd March - Ullswater FH terrierman charged with illegal hunting

….. 23rd March - Worcestershire FH JM fined for building stable without planning permission  

….. 22nd March - Woman sab assaulted at East Essex FH meet

….. 21st March - Cleared gyrocopter pilot fears reprisals from hunters

….. 19th March - Two Quorn FH hounds killed chasing fox over quarry cliff

….. 19th March - Princess Diana's sister becomes JM of Belvoir FH

….. 18th March - Newry Harriers kill pet dog in front of young boy owners

….. 18th March - Monitor acquitted of manslaughter of 'aggressive' hunt follower

….. 12th March - Vale of Aylesbury FH hunters canvassing for Tory in Harrow

….. 12th March- Hounds invade LACS sanctuary and damage badger sett

….. 11th March - Hunt monitor's tyres slashed at meet of Cattistock FH

…..  9th March - IoW FH terrierman fined for exposing self to female monitors

…..  6th March - Quorn FH Huntsman breaks neck in fall from horse

…..  5th March - Lib Dem MP comes out in favour of fox hunting

…..  4th March - Court told of Warks FH members' illegal plan to stop 'copter take-off

…..  4th March - Brian May in vain attempt to persuade Herbert against HA repeal

…..  4th March - Hound killed in accident on A35 in Dorset

Vote OK will be out in force to support pro-hunt election candidates

Organiser admits vast majority backed will be Tories 

30-3-10   Guardian   Foxhunting supporters target key marginal seats at general election   Vote OK says it will back candidates of any party who support hunting, but admits most beneficiaries will be Tory Supporters of hunting with dogs are targeting key marginal seats in an attempt to boost the chances of repealing the 2004 ban on the sport. 

The pro-hunting organisation Vote OK claims it will mobilise well over 10,000 supporters and have an impact on far more constituencies than it did at the last general election. Working out of a farm in Gloucestershire, the organisation has no paid staff but claims its ability to channel the enthusiasm of volunteers from more than 170 hunts in England and Wales will ensure its has a significant influence. Its leafleting operation is expected mostly to benefit Conservative candidates.

Nicky Sadler, the coordinator of Vote OK and a follower of the Croome and West Warwickshire Hunt, said: "At the last election, in 2005, we were involved in 60 seats; this time around we are organised in 140 constituencies. It's a big logistic operation.

"Vote UK is a bit like a dating agency. There's a list of candidates who [we can pick]. We are colour-blind; it doesn't matter what party they are from. No one is suggesting that [repeal] should be a priority for government. We are giving people who are pro-repeal contact details so they take can it from there. If there's a sitting MP who has in the past supported hunting from any party, such as Labour's Kate Hoey [in London Vauxhall] or the Liberal Democrat Roger Williams [in Brecon and Radnorshire], we will [back] them." Sadler admits that the "vast majority" of MPs supported by Vote OK will be Conservatives.

The 2004 Hunting Act made it a crime to hunt wild mammals with dogs. There have been three successful prosecutions so far under the act but no hunts have closed and attendances have, if anything, risen due to the publicity.

Some hunt supporters believe the ban has resulted in more foxes suffering lingering deaths after escaping with gunshot wounds. Most of those involved in Vote OK will be stuffing leaflets through letter boxes rather than knocking on doors to engage voters in political discussions, said Sadler. "It has to be good for democracy. It's great if you can get people involved in politics. We are working in seats where we think extra input will make a difference," she added.

A study by political researchers at the University of Manchester after the 2005 election suggested that the Vote OK operation appeared to have boosted Conservative performance in targeted seats. Vote OK plans to target both rural and urban marginal seats this time around. David Cameron's party has promised a free vote on a government-backed hunting bill in government time. The Conservatives said that support for its candidates by single-issue groups was "part of the democratic process". On tabling an unwhipped bill for repeal, a Tory spokesman commented: "The ban is a bad and expensive piece of legislation but [repeal] is absolutely not a priority."

The League against Cruel Sports, a charity that cannot therefore engage in politics, has published an opinion poll on candidates' attitudes to the hunting ban. According to the League, 360 Labour parliamentary candidates were in favour of the ban and only one supported the repeal of the Hunting Act 2004. Among Conservatives who replied, 26 wanted to uphold the ban and 147 wished to revoke the act. For Liberal Democrats, the figures were 197 for keeping the ban and 12 opposed to it.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare commissioned an Ipsos Mori poll last summer that found strong cross-party support for maintaining the ban, with more Conservative supporters backing the act than opposing it (62% v 33%). Overall, 75% of the British public do not want foxhunting to be made legal again, it showed.

A YouGov poll carried out for the Protecting Animals in Democracy (PAD) campaign published at the weekend revealed that animal welfare issues such as hunting and animal experimentation are deemed to be an important election issue for 41% of the British public. The same poll found that only 21% believing that there is very little animal cruelty in Britain today. "This is the first time that the enormous political significance of animal welfare issues has come to light," said Dr Dan Lyons, head of campaigns at PAD and an honorary research fellow in politics at the University of Sheffield, said: "It's a clear warning to the parties that support for cruel practices like hunting could prove politically disastrous."

The significance of hunting as a political issue is disputed by the pro-hunting lobby. Another survey by Ipsos Mori last year, according to Vote OK, found that only 0.19% of respondents rated it as an important issue in deciding how they voted.

See also article in the Independent 

Greens to bring in Bill to ban hunting in N. Ireland

29-3-10   Irish Times    Greens propose NI hunting ban    The Green Party is to introduce a hunting ban Bill in the Northern Ireland Assembly, it was revealed today. Fox and stag hunting and hare coursing could be ended under the plans, which will be unveiled in a consultation document to be launched on Wednesday. 

Thousands of people showed up to protest outside the Green Party’s national convention in Waterford at the weekend after the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, introduced legislation to restrict the blood sport. 

Green Party Northern Ireland Assembly member Brian Wilson [left] said: “Legislation banning the hunting of wild mammals with dogs already exists in England and Wales and Scotland, so this Bill, which I hope to introduce to the Assembly before recess, will bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK and end fox and stag hunting and hare coursing.”

A group called Rural Ireland Says Enough (Rise) opposes Mr Gormley’s plan to ban the Ward Union Stag hunt in counties Meath and Dublin. Up to 5,000 people - led by six riders on horseback - turned out to protest in Waterford on Saturday. 

A constitutional challenge to the controversial 2004 Hunting Act has already been dismissed by the courts. The law prohibits fox hunting, deer hunting and hare coursing with dogs in England and Wales. The legislation polarised rural and urban Britain and prompted impassioned demonstrations by both sides of the debate.

Essex & Suffolk FH chase fox thru village in 'flagrant' law breach

Hounds invaded gardens and passed children in playground 

26-3-10   Ipswich Evening Star     Police probe hunt 'chase' claims     POLICE are investigating claims that a pack of hounds chased a fox through village streets in an alleged “flagrant” breach of the controversial law against hunting.

Frightened residents reported the incident after hounds belonging to the Essex and Suffolk Hunt are said to have pursued their quarry through gardens and past a primary school at Bildeston [below], near Hadleigh. One villager said: “There were hounds all over the village - I also saw two people on quad bikes leading a pack of huntsmen down the narrow streets. The dogs were racing through gardens. Several people saw the fox. The hounds ran past the school and children in the playground were quickly ordered by staff to go inside. A number of residents were worried - one woman grabbed her pet dog because she was scared it would be attacked.”

Another resident, writer Judy Rumbold, said: “We saw the fox being chased and the next minute our garden was full of hounds. I managed to grab our Jack Russell and brought him indoors while the hounds ran around the garden which was damaged. We often see foxes in fields around the village and I am against hunting and this is one of the reasons why. Hunts must not use dogs to catch and kill foxes, but it nearly happened on this occasion.”

Another eyewitness said: “The noise was really frightening - there were dogs everywhere and at one stage they were running towards the school where youngsters were out in the playground.”

Some in the village were asking yesterday whether the hunt had broken the law. But the Essex and Suffolk, like many Hunts across the country, use an exemption that allows them to chase and kill foxes using birds of prey. The Hunt takes an eagle owl with it whose role is to attack and kill the prey - hares or foxes - that have been flushed out by dogs.

The incident in the picturesque village is now being investigated by Suffolk police's specialist wildlife unit which regularly monitors hunts across the county. But officers were not present on this occasion.

Wildlife expert Pc Mark Bryant said: “We are aware of an incident involving the Essex and Suffolk Hunt which has been reported to us and we are now in the process of speaking to the parties involved.” Police will have to decide if any offence has been committed, but it is not against the law to ride through streets on horseback with dogs.

Joint master of the Hunt, local landowner James Buckle, said: “The hounds did pick up the scent and were chasing a fox and we tried very hard to stop them. But once they got into the village it was safer to let them carry on as attempting to halt would only have caused more aggro. It was all over in a few m apologise if anyone was concerned or upset by what happened.”

POWAperson comments - James Buckle also happens to be Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, personally appointed to that, largely honorary but very high status, role. As regards the absurd Falconry Exemption, it does allow a full pack to be used – but only to flush quarry from cover. This is clearly not what the Hunt were doing, and eyewitness accounts suggest they were wilfully chasing the fox through the village. But I would be astonished if the police took any action against the Hunt. The news item is no longer online.

Motorist sees full-blooded fox hunting on & across A433 in Gloucs

24-3-10   Wilts & Glos Standard    Did this Hunt break the law?    I HAVE lived in Royal Gloucestershire all my life and have been lucky enough to have witnessed some of the events and quaint customs specific to our wonderful county, the wool sack races and Forest tyre throwing amongst others. There are some events and occasions I haven't yet experienced - the Severn bore and the cheese rolling in Gloucester fall into this latter category. 

But this week I managed to ‘tick another box’, so to speak, as I stumbled upon a spectacle I hadn't observed before; a real, live, genuine fox hunt, complete with huntsmen resplendent in their red and black jackets. Only this wasn't any run-of-the-mill fox hunt. This was a hunt of a differing variety; a hunt that was taking place exclusively on Her Majesty's tarmac highway. 

Yes. Imagine my surprise when on my journey home last Monday afternoon, on the A433 Cirencester-Tetbury road, I came upon a large pack of scent hounds, several horseman and supporters on foot, all using the A road as their personal thoroughfare. I was quite taken aback by this most majestic of sights, I must say, but a couple of questions came to mind as I sat there, in the queue waiting for the morass to clear.

Please excuse my lack of knowledge and ignorance as I have two points that require clarification: I was under the misapprehension that fox hunting, after the passing of the Hunting Act in 2004, had been deemed illegal? What astounded me was I could have sworn I saw a red fox dash across the A433, with some of the hounds in pursuit. But then, maybe I was mistaken?

I also understand, according to Section 3(1) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is an offence "to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place where it is not allow" and "the owner or the person in charge of the dog is guilty of said offence".

Now, these dogs were running wild and unrestrained on the A433, causing cars and lorries alike to swerve and veer sharply off course. Call me an old misanthropist, but I would suggest this is contrary to that Act. However I am open to correction.

Subsequently, I am mystified and need some elucidation. Is this manner of indiscriminate hunt exclusive to Gloucestershire? All perplexing subject matter, I hope you agree. I trust the good readers of your tome can enlighten me.     DAVE BUNTING Northfield Road, Tetbury 

Ullswater FH terrierman charged with illegal hunting

23-3-10    LACS Press Release    More hunters charged shows Hunting Act “alive and well”, says charity    A leading animal welfare charity has described the legislation banning hunting with dogs as “alive and well”, after more than a dozen cases of illegal hunting have come to light in recent weeks...

Meanwhile, Mr Robinson, terrierman of the Ullswater Foxhounds has been charged by Cumbria Police with an offence under section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004 and has been bailed to appear at Penrith Magistrates Court on 9th April. The alleged offence took place in October 2009 and the body of a dead fox has since been subject to a post mortem examination.

Evidence in both cases was obtained by covert hunt observers working for the League Against Cruel Sports. A spokesman for the charity said that a further nine cases were in progress. “We are delighted to see the police taking allegations of Hunting Act offences seriously. Avon & Somerset Police currently have two cases, and there is one each in North Yorkshire and the East Midlands. We have a further five cases at the preparation stage,” said Douglas Batchelor, Chief Executive of the League. “The suggestion from the pro-bloodsports lobby that the Hunting Act is unenforceable is clearly nonsense,” he said. “Our covert observers are visiting the length and breadth of the country to keep tabs on the activities of hunts. We are delighted with the cases so far this season and will continue our work to bring those who abuse our wildlife to justice.”  [PR no longer available online]

Woman sab assaulted at East Essex FH meet

22-3-10   Halstead Gazette    Injury allegation after hunt meet    Police are investigating an alleged assault during a drag fox hunt. The incident happened on Saturday during a meet of the East Essex Hunt in Great Yeldham.

A reader, who asked not to be named, said he saw a group of about 12 to 15 protestors gather behind the Basmati Rice building in Stambourne Road, just before lunchtime.

Police spokesman Bill Stock said: “We are investigating allegations of assault made by a woman who was protesting at a hunt meeting in Great Yeldham."

Two Quorn FH hounds killed chasing fox over quarry cliff

Six others had to be rescued by fire service

19-3-10   Loughborough Echo    Firemen mounted a delicate operation to rescue six Quorn Hunt hounds perched on a tiny ledge 80ft down Cloud Hill Quarry in Breedon-on-the-Hill. Two other hounds plunged the full 300ft to their deaths at the quarry bottom. The accident happened when the pack was chasing a fox along the quarry edge. Two firemen, Jim Rossel and Phil Louis including huntsmen Michael Farrin were lowered down to the ledge and brought the frightened hounds back to safety.” [Article no longer available on line]

Monitor acquitted of manslaughter of 'aggressive' hunt follower

18-3-10   Independent    Protester Bryan Griffiths is cleared of killing hunt supporter Trevor Morse - Gyrocopter pilot is not responsible for decapitation during heated confrontation    An animal rights activist who piloted a gyrocopter that decapitated a hunt supporter was cleared of manslaughter yesterday. Bryan Griffiths [left] and his cameraman were trying to take off from Long Marston airfield, Warwickshire, when Trevor Morse [below right] was killed while trying to stop them. Mr Morse, 48, was a Warwickshire hunt member.

During the confrontation on 9 March last year Mr Morse stood in the way of the machine and was struck by the rear blades which "cleaved his head from top to bottom". Mr Griffiths, 55, from Bedworth, Warwickshire, was charged with manslaughter by gross negligence but yesterday a jury at Birmingham Crown Court acquitted him after a two-week trial.

An experienced gyrocopter pilot who had strong anti-hunting sympathies, Mr Griffiths showed no emotion as the verdict was read out. But there were angry gasps and smatterings of applause from spectators in the public gallery.

During the trial jurors had watched a video of Mr Morse's death which was recorded by Peter Bunce, an animal rights activist who had brought fuel for the gyrocopter to the airfield. In the video Mr Griffiths could be seen asking Mr Morse, from Shipston-on-Sour, to move out of the way because he was preparing to take off. He was seen telling his opponent: "You're obstructing it from taking off, you have no right to do that."

As the hunt enthusiast held his ground, the gyrocopter's engines were revved, moving the rear blades close to Mr Morse's head. The exact impact was not shown to the jury but an unidentified man could be heard saying: "Oh dear. The twat didn't stand clear of it."

Mr Griffiths' defence team had argued that the gyrocopter pilot had tried to steer his aircraft between Mr Morse and a second hunt sympathiser. In his police interview he also claimed that he felt in fear for his life because he believed his gyrocopter had been repeatedly shot at earlier in the day.

The jury also heard how Mr Morse, a road monitor with the hunt, had concocted "a plan" with one of the hunt masters to pen in the gyrocopter with cars to stop it taking off to give hunt sympathisers time to photograph the pilot.

Michael Tipping, a self-described aviation fanatic who witnessed the event, said he had found Mr Morse's manner "intrusive and aggressive".

Julie Sargeant, a hunt sympathiser who accompanied Mr Morse to the airport, broke down in tears in court when she described how her friend had died. Wiping tears from her eyes, she told jurors: "He was just stood there." She said Mr Griffiths had tried to comfort her, but he too was deeply distressed.

Outside court, a friend of Mr Griffiths said he was "devastated" by what had happened.

18-3-10   Birmingham Post   Hunt clashes will go on, protesters warn after manslaughter trial ends    Protesters have vowed to continue their fight against a Midland hunt after an anti-hunt campaigner was cleared of killing a hunt supporter with the blade of a gyrocopter. As animal rights enthusiast Bryan Griffiths walked free from Birmingham Crown Court cleared of the manslaughter of hunt supporter Trevor Morse, his colleagues said the war they had waged against the Warwickshire Hunt was far from over…  Judy Gilbert has been a volunteer hunt monitor for 12 years and had monitored with Mr Griffiths in the gyrocopter prior to March 9th. The 63-year-old grandmother from Buckinghamshire, said: “The Warwickshire Hunt has always treated us appallingly and we had warned police that the atmosphere was very unpleasant and was getting worse… [article no longer online]

17-3-10   Guardian   How hunting dispute led Trevor Morse to fatal encounter with gyrocopter - Death followed plan to confront pilot who had followed activities of Warwickshire hunt   The terrible death of Trevor Morse was much the worst incident in the truculent standoff that has existed between hunt supporters and opponents since the chasing of foxes for sport was supposedly outlawed in 2004. Sliced through the head by a rotor blade whirling at 200mph, the self-employed gardener was a victim of claims and counter-claims which have surrounded the sport and the continuing meets held by dozens of Hunts.

Bryan Griffiths and his gyrocopter were used regularly by anti-hunting monitors to follow packs of hounds in the Midlands, and had been watching the Warwickshire hunt's last outing of the season when the incident happened in early March last year.

The light aircraft's constant presence had grown to irk the hunt members, and the trial at Birmingham crown court, where Griffiths was today cleared of manslaughter, heard that the Warwickshire's organisers had agreed a plan to confront its pilot and the anti-hunt campaigners who took turns to fly as passengers, filming loopholes and possible breaches in the law.

This swung into action when 55-year-old Griffiths, who lives on the hunt's territory at Bedworth, was seen altering course for Long Marston airfield near Stratford-upon-Avon. As arranged, Morse and Julie Sargeant, a fellow hunt supporter, headed off at speed in their Land Rover, to box in the gyrocopter as it refuelled and find out who was behind the flights.

Longstanding, and often bitter, differences between the two sides underlay the confrontation, but Hunt master Anthony Spencer told the jury that "buzzing" by the aircraft had frightened the hounds and was a safety hazard. The hunt's complaint to the Civil Aviation Authority on these grounds had prompted an investigation, which began the day before 48-year-old Morse was killed.

Witness accounts of the death suggested intransigence on both sides, with Morse standing obdurately in front of the moving gyrocopter after his colleague had taken refuge in the Land Rover. Video and detailed descriptions left the jury to decide whether Griffiths was aiming carefully for a gap to avoid danger, as he told police, or whether mutual anger saw things spiral out of control.

The case was downgraded some months before the three-week trial, when the original charge of murder was withdrawn. But prosecutor Gareth Evans QC still accused Griffiths of deliberately driving the gyrocopter at Morse, justifying a verdict of manslaughter by gross negligence. He told the jury: "Griffiths's actions were reckless in the extreme because the manoeuvre carried with it a very, very real risk that Mr Morse would come into contact with the revolving, unguarded rear propeller blades of the gyrocopter."

In a graphic video taken by a fuel handler at the airfield, a voice is heard shouting to Morse: "You are obstructing him taking off, you have no right to do that, you have no right to do that." After a pause – the footage was cut before the instantaneous death of Morse – the jury then saw a clip of his body lying on the ground, as a voice said: "Oh dear, the twat didn't stand clear of it."

Sargeant broke down in tears as she told the jury: "He just stood there. He just stood there." She described Morse as "Mr Nice Guy" but confirmed that he had acted uncompromisingly, driving the Land Rover right up to the nose of the gyrocopter.

The court heard that Griffiths, an anti-hunting sympathiser, had been scared of violence from hunt supporters. Chatting just before the incident with a plane spotter at Long Marston, he said that he had been shot at three times from the ground while following hunts.

The neutral evidence from Michael Tipping, an aircraft enthusiast without strong views on hunting, also underlined the tensions before the incident. He told the jury that Morse's "intrusive and aggressive" attitude when he tore up in the Land Rover had convinced him that the whole affair involved a drugs gang and possible revenge for a deal that had gone wrong.

Since the tragedy Morse, who was a lifelong follower of the Warwickshire and helped to look after birds of prey which allowed it to use a loophole in the Hunting Act, has become something of a martyr on hunting websites. Opponents of the sport have been confirmed in their view that hunts are determined to continue to find any way to stay in action.

See also Mirror

Hunt monitor's tyres slashed at meet of Cattistock FH

Also says menaced by hunt supporter in balaclava 

11-3-10   Western Gazette 

Brian May in vain attempt to persuade Herbert against HA repeal

4-3-10     Independent    Pandora: Tories under pressure: May turns lobbyist    Regulars at Portcullis House were last week treated to the unlikely sight of Brian May [right] in deep conversation with Nick Herbert, the Conservative's Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Unlikely as the pairing may seem, it looks like it could prove enduring.

May, never one to approach a subject without enthusiasm, is in the process of refiguring himself as an animal rights activist, and has taken to lobbying politicians on the subject.

"I've decided to take on a lot of work with animals this year," he told us at a subsequent lunch for the Olivier Award nominees. "David Cameron is promising that if he gets in, he will repeal the hunting act, which means it will be legal to tear foxes apart with dogs. So, I regard it as my duty to try and make sure we don't go back into the dark ages."

Herbert, of course, has leant his hearty support to his party's plans to have a free vote on the subject. Alas, it seems any efforts on May's part to change his mind are likely to be in vain: "On that point we are un-lobbyable," insists his spokesman. "Though from what I understand Brian May is a Tory man." Perhaps he could play at the next conference?

FEBRUARY 2010

….. 27th February - Landowner's angry letter to N.Shrops FH re. invasion, scaring animals

….. 26th February - Sabs say police not interested in film of blatant hare hunting

….. 24th February - Three Seavington FH hounds killed by cars on A303

….. 22nd February - Hunts deny LACS member's accusation of hunting illegally

….. 19th February - 'Police in league with Hunts to frustrate hunt ban' claim

….. 18th February - Monitor's windscreen smashed night before Cattistock FH meet nearby

….. 18th February - Macca slams Tory plans to bring back hunting with dogs

….. 16th February - Resident furious as S. Shrops FH hounds kill fox in garden

….. 13th February - Shadow Defra Minister criticised over donation from hunting fan Duke

….. 10th February - S. Dorset FH terrierman has 2nd sett interference charge dropped

…..  9th February - Motorist abused by hunters when finds pack and riders all over A41

…..  7th February - LACS rapped for too party political anti-hunt advert

…..  4th February - Hare hunt invades land, hounds kill deer in front of owners 

Landowner's angry letter to N.Shrops FH re. invasion, scaring animals

Complains of redcoat's arrogance - says neighbour was also invaded

27-2-10   LACS   The following letter, sent to the League Against Cruel Sports by a supporter and was also sent to the Master of the North Shropshire Hunt at the end of February.

Dear ....... I feel I have to register my disgust and dismay at the total lack of control of North Shropshire hounds and the mayhem and incursion we suffered when they trespassed over our land, during the meet of Saturday 27th February.

Whilst you informed us prior to the event that you would be in the area, we accordingly stabled our horses, but were unable to house all of our other animals. We were most disappointed when a large pack of hounds, which were supposedly trail (drag) hunting , were allowed to frantically and recklessly run through the areas immediately around our house, through our in-lamb ewes and into where the rest of our animals were, causing disarray and panic. These other animals are pedigree Shetland ponies and rare breed sheep.

One of our pedigree rams was so panicked by these marauding and rampaging hounds, that he ended up impaled upon a barbed wire fence, extremely distressed. It was equally distressing for me to witness this. Hounds actually trampled over him as they exited the paddock. It is most fortuitous at the time of writing that there appears to be no lasting physical damage to the animal and no large veterinary bill to pay.

The hounds continued to similarly charge uncontrollably and frenetically over fences and through a garden area where pedigree guinea pigs are kept in their run and around our boarding cattery pens, and even into the stable block in the barn (where the horses were stabled in their loose boxes,) before they eventually left our property.

Whilst the amount of physical damage caused has been on this occasion limited, ( 6 broken fence posts and wire pulled off posts ) this incident should never have occurred, especially as I telephoned you prior to February 27th and specifically requested that you refrain from letting hounds run on our land as we have rare breed ewes in lamb.

The unfortunate catalogue of events and the anguish caused on February 27th is totally unacceptable. I have to inform you after legal consultation that North Shropshire Hunt and hounds and all associated Hunt personnel are forthwith banned from our property. Should such an episode ever happen again, we will, after this advice from our solicitor take legal proceedings against you.

I further take exception to the arrogance and objurgation of someone who I presume to be a member of hunt staff. This individual seemed to feel that as hounds are difficult to control they therefore can not be stopped from encroaching onto property and that I should refrain from shouting at them as it has no effect on their behaviour at all.

When this person eventually left our property and went down our drive and reached the lane with several of the hounds, (not all, as the majority took absolutely no notice of him whatsoever) he informed my husband that as they were now on the public highway there wasn’t anything we could say or do to complain about them. Such egotistical behaviour does nothing to encourage good interaction and relationships with landowners.

I suggest that if it impossible for the hounds to be controlled and restricted, you might be better served in finding a different location as there is a very strong possibility that this unfortunate occurrence could be repeated. I do not want to live with the threat of this bad experience recurring as soon as you send out a letter to say North Shropshire Hunt will be in the vicinity.

The West Mercia police have been informed of the contents of this letter and along with us hope that you are able to rectify the problems and resolve the distress, anxiety and damage caused by this incident.

Finally our neighbour who lives across the lane was similarly upset. He did not appreciate the hounds charging uncontrollably and frenziedly through his grounds over an area of land he had recently planted with young trees as part of his business.

Monitor has windscreen smashed night before Cattistock FH meet nearby

18-2-10   Email between POWA Associates   This morning, the anniversary of the hunting ban, I intended monitoring the Cattistock Foxhunt which was holding its meet at the Royal Oak Pub, Hardington Mandeville, Somerset, less than a mile away from where I live. When I went out to my car the back windscreen was smashed. I checked the CCTV, (installed on advice from the Avon&Somerset, police because of all the intimidation I have been subjected to by hunters and their supporters since the ban) which showed two figures walking up the lane outside my house, after midnight last night, shielding their faces to where my car was parked out of sight of the camera, then a minute later running back down the lane. I have reported the incident to the police. My neighbour's cars were untouched. I have no enemies, except hunters and their supporters. What a coincidence that this should happen today!

As you already know, Penny Little had her tyres ripped when her local hunt met a few miles from her house. On the same morning Nick, a nearby neighbour of Penny, a man who has spoken out against hunting, also had damage to his property. The padlock and chain was cut through on the gate to his field where he kept his horses. The gate was left open. If the horses had gone through the gate onto the main road they could have been killed, or caused a serious road accident.

 A pattern seems to be emerging of monitors having damage to their property when a hunt holds its meet nearby. And David Cameron, should he win the election, intends to reward this malicious behaviour by repealing the Hunting Act.

26-2-10   Western Gazette    Hunt refutes link to vandalism    A DORSET hunt has refuted links being suggested between it and vandalism on an animal rights campaigner's car. Helen Weeks says she was unable to monitor a meeting of the Cattistock Hunt last week after her car was attacked the previous night. Hours before the meet was due to take place at Hardington Mandeville, a neighbour called Mrs Weeks to tell her the back window of her car was smashed. The Hunt has condemned the attack and refuted any link to the incident.... [Article no longer on website]

Resident furious as S. Shrops FH hounds kill fox in garden

Police refuse to take any action against Otis Ferry's Hunt

16-2-10    Shropshire Star 

 Article no longer online

S. Dorset FH terrierman has 2nd sett interference charge dropped

10-2-10  Horse & Hound    On 10/2/10 a second case against South Dorset terrierman Christopher Leadbetter was dropped, the day before it was due to go to trial. The cases involved covert surveillance carried out by the League Against Cruel Sports and had already led to a review of the legitimacy of secret filming as court evidence. Leadbeater of Dorchester was due to be tried on a charge under the Badgers Act at Bournemouth magistrates. But the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told Leadbeater's lawyers that it no longer had sufficient evidence to justify the prosecution. [article no longer online]

Hare hunt invades land, hounds kill deer in front of owners

4-2-10   LACS Hunt Crimewatch   Bloody havoc in Gloucestershire    Our Hunt Crimewatch service has been contacted today by a distraught lady who suffered the most horrific experience at the hands of hunters yesterday. Here is the lady’s email:-

'We live in the country surrounded by fields and often see horse and hounds riding past. Despite all our protests the hounds always come onto our land. Today at lunchtime we heard the sound of dogs and went out to see a horrendous sight. There were a pack of some 10-15 beagles that had caught a small deer on our land. They were ripping it to pieces in front of us. The scene of a struggling deer and a pack of dogs is one i never want to see again – all we could do was take pictures as a record.

After 5 mins we heard the sound of a horn and the dogs responded and left the deer still just alive – it thankfully died a few mins later as we have no gun and no way of putting it out of its misery. The huntsman finally appeared in the next field and we remonstrated with him. He said -of course it shouldn’t happen, it had never happened before – they were on foot after rabbits.'

The incident has been reported to Gloucestershire Police, and we have an incident number. Two of the photographs she sent to us are below.

POWAperson comments  -  Typical Hunt behaviour and callousness. Hunting 'rabbits' indeed. Absurd. Loose a pack of dogs loose near a rabbit colony and they'll all just shoot straight down their burrows.   This is nothing more than a mendacious alibi - they're hunting and killing hares just as ever. Nor are they bothered about bye-kill - as with the deer here - or trespassing or upsetting members of the public.

JANUARY 2010

…..  6th January - Worcestershire FH rampage through Droitwich after fox 

…..  1st January - Six Beaufort FH hounds killed by high-speed train 

Worcestershire FH rampage through Droitwich after fox

Much damage reported, residents very alarmed 

6-1-10   Daily Mail    The training hunt that rampaged through housing estate after hounds picked up scent of a REAL fox    This is the surprising moment a pack of hunting hounds caused chaos as they chased a fox through a quiet housing estate after picking up its scent during a training exercise. The pack, made up of more than 12 hounds, caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage as they trampled flower beds, dug up bushes and defecated on paths while pursuing the fleeing fox.

A mother and her young son witnessed the baying pack rush past when the dogs strayed into the housing estate after leaping a 6ft fence which backed onto a field being used by the Hunt.

Resident Campbell Deas captured the moment the hounds tore through the upmarket Rebekah Gardens in Droitwich, Worcester over the weekend. Unemployed father-of-two Campbell, 50, said: 'I was outside taking down the Christmas lights when I saw a fox running down the street. About 30 seconds later a whole pack of baying hounds came charging after it. I didn't see where the fox went but the hounds were running through people's front and back gardens looking for it. Some of the dogs managed to get over a six-foot fence at the end of the road before a man came along and attempted to round them up. He was shouting and yelling trying to get them all together which just added to the chaos of the whole situation. He didn't offer any apologies to the residents. He was just bothered about getting the hounds under control. The other residents in the street were in shock. There are a lot of youngsters living around here. Had it not been so cold there would have been lots of kids out in the street playing with their new toys. Why were they chasing the fox in the first place? It is supposed to be illegal.'

Another neighbour said: 'A young mum was walking with her little boy in a pushchair when the dogs came haring round the corner straight for her. Luckily she managed to push the chair out of their way. It was terrifying to watch.'

The hounds were part of the Worcestershire Hunt who were out on Saturday for a training run. David Palmer, joint master of the Worcestershire Hunt, said: 'The ground was too icy for the horses so we laid a trail and went out on foot. A real fox then came running past and the hounds went after it. We managed to stop them as soon as we could and the fox got away. It was just a bit of exercise that went slightly wrong.'

Louise Robertson, spokeswoman for the League Against Cruel Sports, said: 'We have reports all the time about Hunts getting out of control in this way. And if they do catch the fox and tear it up it can be very distressing for members of the public. We would recommend that members of the public report these incidents to the police.'

Six Beaufort FH hounds killed by high-speed train

1-1-10   Western Daily Press  

4-1-18   Swindon Advertiser    Hounds killed in festive hunt SIX foxhounds taking part in the Beaufort Hunt in Wootton Bassett were killed on New Year’s Eve after being hit by a train. It is believed the dogs ran on to the line into the path of a speeding train after picking up a fox scent.

Captain Ian Farquhar, joint master of the hunt, said: “Our hounds are like our family and we are distraught.” The Beaufort Hunt has been described as Prince Charles’s favourite Hunt.

Labour launches campaign against Tory Hunting Act repeal plan

26-12-09   Independent    Now Brown declares class war on hunting - New campaign highlights Cameron's pursuit of 'barbaric' sport    Labour will today launch a hard-hitting campaign against David Cameron's proposal to repeal the ban on hunting with dogs. The move will be seen as an extension of its "class war" against the Conservatives. Ministers will point to Mr Cameron's record of supporting fox-hunting and condemn his proposal to give MPs the chance to overturn the Hunting Act if he becomes Prime Minister.

Writing in The Independent today, the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn [left] says: "Quite why this is something that would be a priority for a Tory government, instead of the economy or tackling other concerns, is hard to explain to the public and [the Conservatives] have failed to do so." Last night, Mr Benn explained: "David Cameron [below right] used to hunt foxes. He talked about fox-hunting in his first speech to Parliament, and he has said that if he becomes Prime Minister he will get rid of the fox-hunting ban. But like the vast majority of people, I think the barbaric act of letting dogs tear foxes to pieces should not return to our countryside. If you think the Tories have changed, their views on fox-hunting with dogs make it absolutely clear that their priorities haven't."

Supporters of hunting will be out in force today – traditionally a big day in the hunting calendar – to press for the repeal of the Act. But Labour's decision to launch the "back the ban" campaign makes clear that the party will make hunting an issue at next year's general election. Although Mr Benn insists hunting is not a "class issue", the move follows Gordon Brown's attack on Mr Cameron's plans to cut inheritance tax, which he said were "dreamed up on the playing fields of Eton".

One senior Labour source said: "We are not saying hunting will be the centrepiece of our election campaign. But it is an issue that concerns many people and it says something about the Conservatives. They say 'we are all in it together' but their policies, whether on inheritance tax or hunting, show that under a Cameron government there would be one rule for their friends and another for the rest of us."

When Labour's focus groups remind voters of the Tories' stance on hunting, many people are said to reply: "I guess they haven't changed." People are surprised that Mr Cameron wants to overturn the ban, and Labour believes the policy undermines his claim to have modernised the Conservative Party.

However, some Blairites are wary of Labour's "class war" attacks, which they fear will undermine the party's support among the aspirational middle classes and give the impression that Labour is appealing to its "core vote" in the hope of denying Mr Cameron an overall majority. A "Tory toffs" campaign in last year's Crewe and Nantwich by-election backfired on Labour, but Brown allies insist that the new drive is legitimate because it is linked to Tory policies, not personalities.

The "back the ban" campaign will be endorsed today by the television presenter Tony Robinson and actors Patrick Stewart and Jenny Seagrove. Its survey of parliamentary candidates found that 84 per cent of Tories who responded did not support prohibition of hunting with dogs, but 98 per cent of Labour candidates did. The emotive campaign will challenge Tory parliamentary candidates to make public their positions on hunting. Labour activists and hunting opponents will be told: "Find out what your MP and candidates think about allowing foxes to be ripped apart by the teeth of hounds."

Amid signs that the Tories are playing down the issue, their candidates are said to have been advised not to state their view on hunting but to promise to consult their constituents before deciding how to vote. The Tory manifesto will promise a free vote on a government rather than a private member's Bill, a move which guarantees parliamentary time and would make it harder for opponents to block. If the Tories win an overall majority, the Commons is expected to overturn the ban.

The 2004 Act made the hunting of all wild mammals using dogs an offence and banned hare coursing, but did not stop people from riding with their dogs if they remain within the law. The Tories insist the Act is ineffective and unworkable. They say there have been few successful prosecutions and that such a bad law should be repealed. In February Mr Cameron said: "My personal view has always been the ban doesn't work, it doesn't make sense. It's an area of life that I don't think the law ought to go into. It doesn't seem to have worked in any way."

The Charity Commission has banned a "keep cruelty history" newspaper advertisement planned by the League Against Cruel Sports, which opposes the repeal of the Act. According to Whitehall sources, the commission ruled that the advertisement – which highlighted the words "cruel Tory" in blue type – would have breached charity rules that ban party political campaigns.

Despite the ban, more than 300 hunts are expected to meet today, on the biggest day in the hunters' calendar. The law permits them to chase their quarry across country, provided the hunt does not end with a fox being torn to pieces by hounds. Any form of hunting with dogs, including hare-coursing and deer stalking, was banned under the 2004 Hunting Act. The Conservatives have promised that if they will next year's general election, they will give MPs a free vote on whether to repeal the Act.

The RSPCA has released figures which, it says, show that the Hunting Act has proved to be an effective piece of legislation. There have been more prosecutions under the Act than under similar legislation on animal welfare, and more than three-quarters of the prosecutions have been successful. Last week, the European Court of Human Rights rejected a claim that the Act was a breach of human rights.

But research carried out by the Countryside Alliance shows that 57 per cent of the public believe that the Act is a failure, and nearly half think that a new government should either repeal it or give Parliament a free vote on whether to keep it.

Judge's ruling leaves legality of covert hunt monitoring unclear

26-12-09   Times   Judge casts doubt on legality of covert filming by anti hunt activists    Scores of foxhunters can sit easier in their saddles on the biggest day of the sport’s calendar today after a judge cast doubt on the legality of covert filming by anti-hunt activists. The ruling, in a case that cannot yet be reported, lays down that covert surveillance by third parties must be authorised in line with procedures in the Regulation of Investigating Powers Act (Ripa).

The Home Office says that the Act must be used in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights. “It also requires, in particular, those authorising the use of covert techniques to give proper consideration to whether their use is necessary and proportionate,” official guidance states. This suggests that the type of speculative surveillance carried out by some organisations and hunt monitors cannot be authorised because it is not necessary or proportionate for the prevention or detection of an offence under the Hunting Act.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is so anxious that forces may be acting unlawfully that it has asked for advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. Richard Crompton, Chief Constable of Lincolnshire and Acpo’s spokesman on rural affairs, said that until the prosecutors’ guidance had been received, police would continue to accept information from members of the public and third parties if they believed that the Hunting Act had been broken.

Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, however, has written to all chief constables to notify them about the court ruling. He said: “It means that police forces are regularly being presented with evidence unlawfully gathered without authorisation under Ripa. Most examples of covert surveillance we are aware of in relation to hunting could never be authorised whoever was carrying it out as the surveillance was in no way proportionate to what it sought to achieve.”

As more than 300 hunts gather in towns and villages for Boxing Day meetings, the ruling should help to make the mood the most optimistic it has been for years. Enthusiasts are also convinced that this is the last season when the ban on their sport will be in force. The Conservatives have pledged a free vote on repealing the legislation if they win the election.

Julian Barnfield [above left], Huntsman with the Heythrop Hunt, in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, is a frequent target for anti-hunt activists. He said: “To be frank, I am plagued by them. They don’t just film me and the hunt openly and covertly, some are verbally vile.”

Four charges against him of illegal hunting have been dropped for lack of evidence. Covert footage was used but Mr Barnfield and his lawyers did not make an issue about the legality of it because they were unaware that there might have been a problem. Mr Barnfield, 46, has raised the issue with David Cameron and said that the Tory leader was sympathetic. “He doesn’t hunt with us any more but he supports us,” he said.

POWAperson adds update  -  It was later confirmed that RIPA only applies to police and other public authorities. Were covert hunt monitoring done at the behest of the police, its use would have to be shown to be a ‘proportionate response', but private citizens or non-public organisations do not have to do this. Hunters tried to use this very limited ruling to claim that ALL monitoring film evidence may be inadmissible [which is patent nonsense, as a later CPS statement confirmed].

CA & Friend lose Euro Court challenge to Hunting Act

18-12-09  Daily Telegraph   Hunting ban legal challenge fails after court says it 'doesn't breach human rights'    A legal challenge over the hunting ban has failed after a European court ruled that it did not infringe human rights. The controversial ban on hunting introduced by Labour in 2004 does not breach a person's human rights, the court found.

The Countryside Alliance, together with a campaigner, Brian Friend, took their case to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that the ban breached their basic human rights. They argued that it was in breach of their right to private and family life, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association with others and right to protect property. Mr Friend, of Axminster, Devon, had also claimed a breach of his rights to protection from discrimination.

But judges in Strasbourg dismissed their application for a hearing yesterday after concluding that the ban, which was introduced under the Hunting Act 2004, did not breach the European Convention on Human Rights. The court ruled unanimously that every one of the complaints was inadmissible. The judges said the ban did not affect the right to private and family life because hunting was essentially a public activity, and it did not restrict Mr Friend’s right to assemble with other huntsmen.

Freedom of association was unaffected because people remained free to associate with other hunters in many alternative activities, such as drag or trail hunting, without the use of "live quarry". The judges said that "not every activity a person might seek to engage in together with others was protected" by the convention on human rights. The ban had been designed to eliminate the hunting and killing of animals for sport in a manner causing suffering and being morally objectionable," they concluded. They said it had been introduced "after extensive debate by the democratically elected representatives of the State on the social and ethical issues raised by that type of hunting".

The group’s application to the European Court followed several unsuccessful legal challenges in Britain. Anti-hunting campaigners welcomed the ruling.

"The European Court of Human Rights speaks for the majority of the British public in upholding the Hunting Act, a law which banned unnecessary suffering in the name of sport," said Robbie Marsland, the UK director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It is time to move on and embrace riding to hounds without having to kill."

But a spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said the European judges dismissed its application on arguments not made at the time the ban was introduced. "The court dismissed our application, not on the basis which the Government used to justify the Hunting Act — an unproven benefit to animal welfare — but because it considers that Parliament is justified in acting on subjective judgments about the morality of an activity," he said. This was not the argument that ministers or supporters of the Act used to promote it at the time."

S. Durham FH JM Huntsman cleared of assaulting women monitors

15-12-09   Northern Echo   Gary Watchman cleared of assaulting two women    A HUNT master has been cleared of assaulting two campaigners who were trying to film his activities from bushes. Gary Watchman, joint master of the South Durham Hunt, demanded that two camouflage-clad women “get off private land” when they attracted the attention of hounds in Sedgefield on February 28th.

Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court yesterday found the 44-year-old not guilty of hitting League Against Cruel Sports protestors Lyn Edwards and Hazel Greaves with a riding crop. They hid near the Castle Eden Walkway to film the Hunt. The court was told that when Mr Watchman discovered the pair, he became angry and said they were trespassing.

He admitted his anger with campaigners who repeatedly “crop up” at his farm, in Bradbury, and while he is out hunting. He said: “I did not use foul language. I was annoyed because of the length of time these people have been pursuing us.”

Derek Walton, prosecuting, said there was “no love lost” between the trio, but that the women were on public land. Both women said he hit them with a riding crop and barged into Mrs Edwards. They also said he tried to take equipment. Mrs Edwards said: “He was shouting loudly, I did not know what he would do.” Mrs Greaves said: “He was coming through the trees like a raging bull.”

Stephen Welford, defending, said Mrs Edwards had “walked into Mr Watchman”. He said the pair pushed for an assault prosecution after failing to uncover illegal activities, and added: “They dislike what they (hunters) stand for. They dislike what they do. These are two people who cannot get what they want, so they have manufactured something.” 

The bench acquitted Mr Watchman of both charges. Chairman Glynn Wales said: “If you had known where the land boundaries were, this whole thing would never have arisen.”

Speaking after the trial, South Durham Hunt chairman John Littlefair said: “It is a shame an innocent person has had to wait nine months to be found not guilty of these allegations.”

31-12-09   Horse & Hound    South Durham Master of Foxhounds to launch complaint against police    A Master of Foxhounds from Durham is to launch a complaint against police after being found not guilty of assaulting two saboteurs. South Durham joint-master Gary Watchman has accused police of victimisation after spending nearly a year fighting to clear his name over an incident about which saboteurs lied…. On 14 December, Bishop Auckland Magistrates Court found Mr Watchman not guilty after saboteurs Lynne Edwards and Hazel Greaves admitted lying that he had threatened them with a knife…    [article no longer online]

Cameron pal Rebekah Brooks to join Hunt on Boxing Day

7-12-09   Guardian   Rebekah Brooks to join the hunt    How might News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks [below right] spend Boxing Day? Eating the last of the turkey, perhaps? Or opening an extra present from Uncle Rupert?

None of the above, according to her husband Charlie, who reveals in this month's GQ magazine that Brooks will be on a pro-hunting demo. Apparently, Boxing Day is "now the biggest day of rebellion in rural Britain", Mr Brooks writes. "In 2006, 320,000 people turned out to support 314 hunts." That is why the Brooks will be in the Cotswolds on 26 December, "to support the cause". Although apparently Rebekah doesn't know this yet. "Unfortunately, I forgot to tell my wife when we got married this summer. But newly-wedded bliss should be about surprises. Which is what she's going to get, I guess, when she discovers that I've cancelled our hotel on a sunny beach... Love, after all, is being able to swap a bottle of suntan oil for the handle of a big broom; and then using it to sweep up the manure that all of our horses have left in the marketplace."

Never mind, Rebekah, the practice might prove useful. After all, as the new broom at the top of News International, you will have to clear up plenty of, um... oh, never mind.

POWAperson adds  -  Cameron, the Brooks, Jeremy Clarkson, lots of very rich friends all part of the infamous 'Chipping Norton set' who are big friends of the Heythrop FH

NOVEMBER 2009

….. 30th November - Angry protests as Tenby Mayor greets Hunt in town square

….. 30th November - Otis Ferry's rock star Dad says son was wrongly jailed

….. 26th November - S. Dorset FH redcoat makes 'rude gesture' at girl of 7

….. 11th November - Lanarkshire FH gunman shoots at sab's head, nearly hit him

…..  6th November - BBC slammed by LACS for not using film of Mid-Devon FH hunting fox

…..  6th November - Vale of Aylesbury FH Whip fined for verbal abuse of woman monitor 

…..  5th November - Elderly women 'terrified' as IoW FH pack chases and attacks pet dog

…..  5th November - Walker found Wilts Hunt chasing fox and threatened by men on quads 

…..  2nd November - LACS anger over police handling of Mid Devon illegal hunting film 

Angry protests as Tenby Mayor greets Hunt in town square

30-11-09  Western Telegraph    Protestors demonstrate against South Pembrokeshire Hunt on Tudor Square, Tenby    An angry reception greeted the South Pembrokeshire Hunt when it rode into Tudor Square, Tenby on Saturday. Demonstrators - mainly from the League Against Cruel Sports and Animal Aid - held banners urging against any moves to repeal the Hunting Act. They also made a political protest as they pointed out that the Conservative candidate in the next general election, Simon Hart, is chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, which wants to overturn the current hunting ban.

This was the second year that the Hunt had returned to Tudor Square after a previous absence of 17 years. Tenby Town Council agreed on a majority vote that it should be invited for their closing meet of Hunt Week. own mayor, Sue Lane, came in for calls of 'shame on the mayor' and 'disgusting' when she greeted the gathering of around 50 riders.

Amongst the protestors was town councillor Trisha Putwain, who had voted against the Hunt coming to Tenby. She vowed to campaign vigorously against its return to the town and added: "I joined the demonstration because I find blood sports abhorrent and would be revolted if the present law was overturned."

Local animal welfare campaigner Richard Tiller said he was 'extremely pleased' with the protest, but 'very disappointed' at the attitude of the mayor, who, he said, chose only to talk to hunt members. Councillor Lane declined to comment on the issue when contacted by the Western Telegraph.

After the meet, hunt members enjoyed a trail ride at Trevayne, Saundersfoot, by invitation of hunt stalwart Dennis Reed. Said Mr Reed, who was South Pembrokeshire Hunt week committee chairman: "We were delighted that the mayor welcomed us to Tudor Square once again. The protestors were also very welcome and helped create a bit of an atmosphere in the square. This is a democratic country and everyone is perfectly entitled to express their views."

S. Dorset FH redcoat makes 'rude gesture' at girl of 7

26-11-09   Dorset Echo   Row over hunt 'insult' in Piddletrenthide    A FAMILY is horrified by the actions of a huntsman who they claim insulted their seven-year-old daughter. A man on horseback dressed in hunting pink is said to have stuck his middle finger up at Tia Pearce when she shouted: ‘Get out of our garden!’ Tia, who was shocked and upset by the gesture, said she was trying to convey her feelings when a pack of hounds got into the front garden of her home in Piddletrenthide.

Her furious dad Rob is now demanding an apology from hunt officials. While Mr Pearce said he was not against hunting activities, he was disgusted with the alleged behaviour of the huntsman. Former speedway rider Mr Pearce, who is registered disabled, and wife Haidee drove to Dorchester to pick up a hospital prescription leaving oldest daughter Pearl, 15, in charge of their other children Helena, 11, Robert, nine, and Tia, as well as Helena’s friend Georgie Poor, also 11.

Mr Pearce said Pearl rang him when the hounds came into the garden. He confronted members of the hunt when he returned to the village. Mr Pearce, 50, said: “I haven’t got the words to describe how I feel. Do these people think they’re above the law? I spoke to someone who was apparently the huntmaster and after much questioning I managed to get out of him that it was the South Dorset Hunt but I never got his name. Tia is a strong-minded girl and only shouted because our dogs were getting restless and were barking at the hounds. There was absolutely no need for the man to respond in that way.”

The rude gesture towards Tia was witnessed by all the Pearce children. Mrs Pearce, 34, said she was equally furious. She said: “How dare he do that to a child?” Tia, who goes to Piddle Valley First School, said: “I shouted at the man to get the dogs out because I was worried about ours. I was quite angry.”

One of the huntsmen of the South Dorset Hunt, Dominic Jones, said he wasn’t surprised the family were upset. Mr Jones confirmed the Hunt passed through in Piddletrenthide but insisted the hounds did not go into a garden and were instead in an adjoining field. He said: “I can’t imagine a situation where someone would feel the need to be rude to a little girl. People have us down for all sorts but offending children doesn’t come up at all.” He added: “Somehow this has got confused or been blown out of proportion. If any offence was caused then I apologise.” 

Pic above right  -  The Pearce family. Tia at front. 

Cattistock FH pack out of control on A road in bad weather

23-11-09    Email from POWA member/monitor    Just this Saturday Graham and I filmed Cattistock FH hounds on the main Dorchester to Crewkerne road (yet again) with the huntsman and whipper in trying to get them under control. It was wet and misty. Graham is putting stills on a story board (to add to the others) for the police meeting in Dorset on Wednesday evening arranged by Kevin.

Rockwood Harriers support attack occupied sab van with heavy weapons

Police ignore attack and spend hours hassling sabs 

15-11-09   HSA News Release    And they call us Violent!    On Saturday 14th November, members of Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs were monitoring the opening meet of the Rockwood Harriers Hunt, just south of Emley, Huddersfield.

Most of the group were following the Hunt to ensure they weren’t illegally hunting. The driver and a passenger were in the group's van which was parked by the side of the road. Suddenly four 4x4 vehicles drove at speed toward the van. They parked in such a way that the van couldn’t move and two men wearing masks and carrying hammers ran toward the van. They smashed the windscreen and both rear windows and slashed one of the tyres before returning to their vehicles and racing away. Other members of the group, in another vehicle, soon arrived at the scene to find the two occupants of the vehicles shaken up and upset by what had happened. They were just about to call the police when they arrived on the scene. The police had been called by the Hunt complaining that anti-hunt protestors were in the area.

The sabs were amazed by what happened next. Instead of dealing with the obvious case of criminal damage by the Hunt, evidenced by the smashed up van right in front of them, the police proceeded to harass and illegally detain the group for the next 3 hours, searching people and vehicles and only finally allowing them to leave when the Hunt had packed up for the day. At no point did they enquire as to the welfare of the two people who had been in the van during the attack and they were completely disinterested in the attack itself. They even refused to act when the perpetrators of the attack drove past laughing. During the afternoon there were over twelve police officers and four vehicles present.
Members of Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs have contacted solicitors to see what further action they can take against the police and the Hunt, and have initiated complaints against West Yorkshire Police.

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association stated: “Hunt saboteurs are sadly aware of how biased the police are where hunting is concerned, almost always taking the side of illegal hunters. Sometimes however their behaviour is so poor and unprofessional that it surprises even us. West Yorkshire police should be ashamed of how they have behaved and we feel sure the people of the area would be disgusted if they knew that their taxes were being spent on protecting violent, pro-hunt criminals.”

Pics above  -   Damage done to the sab van 

Lanarkshire FH gunman shoots at sab's head, nearly hit him

Police refuse to attend or take any action 

11-11-09   HSA News Release    Illegal Fox Hunters shoot at Hunt Saboteurs    Saturday 7th November saw members of the recently formed Hunt and Crime Watch Scotland (HCWS) attend a gathering of the Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Foxhounds - the Country's most violent hunt - at Garryhorn Farm in Ayrshire.

Members of HCWS had been watching the Hunt for several hours when one of their number was approached by an armed member of the Hunt. At this point a rider waiting nearby was overheard saying ”the terrier man is allowed to kill him.” Other members of the group watched in amazement as the hunter raised his weapon, took aim, and fired directly at their friend, barely missing his head, so close that the monitor was able to smell the cordite from the discharged weapon.

The police were called and refused to attend. It was only after several calls that local policemen appeared. An official complaint was recorded but the police have decided to take no further action due to lack of evidence despite there being five witnesses and video footage of the event.

HCWS refused to be deterred and stayed with the Hunt for the rest of the day, reporting no kills and disarray within the ranks of the Hunt.

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association stated: “As hunters in England and Wales look forward to a repeal of the Hunting Act by a Conservative Government this type of violent incident may become more common place in Scotland where frustrated hunters have no hope of repeal. Many hunters in Scotland are armed, as the law allows them to flush a fox with hounds to be shot by waiting guns, so it is imperative that the police investigate and prosecute incidents of this kind. Violence is second nature to the hunting community and they will not hesitate to use force against anyone who tries to stop them carrying out their illegal activities.”

BBC slammed by LACS for not using film of Mid-Devon FH hunting fox 

6-11-09   Western Morning News    Anti-hunt group's anger at BBC    THE activities of a Mid-Devon Hunt have formed the basis of a complaint against the BBC by an animal rights group. The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) has written to all members of the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee, complaining about the edition of Countryfile broadcast last Sunday. The League said that, after it supplied footage it claims shows members of the Mid Devon Hunt breaking the law, it was not used because of BBC guideline regarding the use of "secret" recording…. [article no longer online]

POWAperson adds  -  The article says 'a' mid Devon Hunt, but it was the Mid Devon FH.

Elderly women 'terrified' as IoW FH pack chases and attacks pet dog

5-11-09 Hunt Watch   Women left terrified after dog attack   Two Island women say they've been left terrified and shaken after an encounter with the Isle of Wight Hunt. 70-year-old great grandmother Margaret Mussgin and her sister were walking in Gatcombe when their whippet dog was chased and pursued by a group of hounds.

Speaking exclusively to Isle of Wight Radio, Margaret said, "The dog was exhausted. She was being pursued and I just screamed help and quick because I thought the hounds would attack even more. Her claws were missing, one pad was gone, and a ligament in the back of her leg was showing which she had to have stitches. She had to have a sediment and painkillers. I haven't slept for two days and we're terrified about going back there".

Members of Sunday's hunt were unwilling to speak to Isle of Wight Radio, however a spokesman from the Countryside Alliance said, "despite this unfortunate incident the dogs would never hurt a person or child. The Hunt has offered to pay the whippet's vets bills".   [Article no longer online]

Walker found Wilts Hunt chasing fox and threatened by men on quads

5-11-09   Wilts Gazette & Herald   Hunt challenge    I was appalled to read of the alleged violence directed against two hunt monitors by a member of the Tedworth Hunt on October 24th. I am a keen walker and have encountered (on several occasions) hunts in Wiltshire (including the Tedworth and Avon Vale) openly breaking the current hunt ban by using a pack of hounds to pursue a fox.

At the end of last year, I was walking near Huish and, about 20 minutes into my walk, I could hear the sound of hunting hounds close by. I then witnessed the hunstman encouraging 15 to 20 hounds to chase a fox that had just broken cover from a small wood on the edge of the field next to me.

A little further down the lane, two hunt supporters on a quad bike suddenly blocked my way. They started shouting at me and were generally very intimidating, saying: “If you take any ******* pictures, we’ll ******* do you and your ******* camera!” They then deliberately drove at me before tearing off across the field. I was completely terrified. These people are nothing more than countryside hooligans, who, it would appear, think they are above the law, openly using violence and intimidation to protect their illegal activities. Are these the kind of people that Mr Cameron really wants to champion?    S.Thompson, Pans Lane, Devizes

We asked the Tedworth Hunt to comment on this letter. Stuart Sharp, joint master of Tedworth Hunt, said he did not believe his hunt was involved. He said: “That is complete slander. I was in the Huish area one month at the end of last year. The hunt employs two people but they ride horses, not quad bikes. “We do hunt strictly within the law, we have police officers out with us and they are perfectly happy with what we do. If there was an incident where a member of the hunt was rude to a member of the public, hunt officials would take the matter very seriously. If the person concerned wants to call me I would be willing to talk and meet with them.”

POWAperson comments  -  Virtually all fox hunts are accompanied by at least to quads, often with more than one up - and at lease one of these will be carrying terriermen, terriers and the equipment needed for dig-outs. Many of those travelling on quads are noted for their aggression. The Tedworth is most certainly one such fox hunt. And it was, of course, only last week that 2 monitors were run down by a quad-mounted Tedworth FH follower.  

LACS anger over police handling of Mid Devon illegal hunting film

2-11-09   Exeter Express & Echo   League in police talks over hunt film debacle    ANIMAL rights activists have claimed they were failed by the legal system because no one involved in a "textbook" breach of the Hunting Act was prosecuted — despite it being caught on camera…. They voiced concerns about the way a piece of video evidence, shot in Devon, was handled. The recording — due to be made public on Sunday on the video sharing website YouTube — shows huntsmen and a pack of hounds flushing a fox from cover…. Steve Taylor, head of communications at the league, said the film, shot by a camouflaged volunteer using a telescopic lens earlier this year, was the best evidence he had seen suggesting a breach of the controversial law which bans hunting with dogs… [article no longer online]

Earlier in the year, LACS monitors had covertly filmed them routing a fox they'd been hunting from a rock pile on Dartmoor and allowing the hound pack to chase it. What happened to the fox is unknown, but the hounds were only a few dozen yards behind it when the film ended. After the police had sat on the footage for so long that charges were no longer possible, LACS complained to the authorities [which got them nowhere] and put the footage up on their website and YouTube. It was a very clear breach of the Hunting Act. A couple of years later, I went to look at it again and it had gone. I asked LACS why it was no longer on You Tube and got no sensible explanation. I then asked if I could get a copy,  and was promised one by their then new CEO, Joe Duckworth. It never happened. I have no idea why it was removed from the website and YouTube, particularly as it was a powerful example of blatant fox hunting that Hunts are allowed to get away with, or why I was denied a copy. It never re-appeared.

OCTOBER 2009

….. 31st October - 2 sabs attacked by South Down FH support, male badly injured

….. 31st October - Benn to lead Labour's 'Back the Ban' campaign to defend Hunting Act

….. 31st October - Sabs to employ hi-tech equipment to monitor hunts

….. 28th October - Rural dwellers' anti-hunt documentary film to premiere in Parliament

….. 27th October - Vale of Aylesbury FH hound badly injured by car

….. 25th October - Hunt staff taking NVQ's set by government that banned hunting

….. 24th October - 2 sabs driven over and injured by Tedworth FH terrierman

….. 20th October - Tory Shadow DEFRA Sec had £24,500 donations from hunters

….. 19th October - Lush stores vandalised, staff threatened after announce support for HSA

….. 19th October - Shadow DEFRA Sec says could be 'watchdog' body after HA repeal

….. 17th October - Tories cave to hunters - HA repeal will be by government bill

….. 14th October - Leading hunt monitor blames hunters for attacks on her property

….. 13th October - Welsh Hunt leaves hound impaled on fence to slowly die 

….. 10th October - Hunters warn of 'firestorm' if Tories don't force HA repeal

….. 10th October - MFHA Chair advises Hunts to avoid conflict with sabs 

…..  7th October - Tories to repeal Hunting Act 'within a year', says Party source

…..  7th October - Anti says bye-laws re. dog control should apply to Hunts 

…..  6th October - Quantock SH filmed trespass on LACS land, scatter deer

…..  5th October - NT rejects LACS request to publish hunt meets on their land 

…..  5th October - Gyrocopter pilot hunt monitor denies killing Warks FH follower

…..  3rd October - Wannabe Tory MP, CA CEO Simon Hart - £42k donations from Hunt JMs 

Sabs to employ hi-tech equipment to monitor hunts

31-10-09    Daily Telegraph     Saboteurs to employ hi-tech anti-hunt equipment such as hidden cameras Hunt saboteurs are opening up a new front in their battle with hunt followers by using hi-tech monitoring equipment, including telescopic lenses and hidden cameras As the new hunting season begins today, animal rights activists are threatening to disrupt meets as "observers", as well as joining hunts undercover. The saboteurs will film constantly using new telescopic lenses so hunts can be monitored from a distance. They will also use hidden cameras in clothing and time-delay devices dotted around the countryside… [article no longer online]

Rural dwellers' anti-hunt documentary film to premier in Parliament

28-10-09   Gloucester Citizen/Echo    Fox hunting film set for Parliament premier  Neighbours who persuaded the police to issue the first Asbo warning in Britain against a fox hunt, have taken their campaign to the silver screen. Jeanne Berry and Denise Ward, who live in the Slad Valley, near Stroud, have produced a 90-minute film to be premiered at the Houses of Parliament. The film does not focus on the rights and wrongs of hunting – but on cases of hounds killing pets and hunts trespassing on private land…. The film, called A Minority Pastime is being premiered next week at a special screening organised by three MPs, including Stroud MP David Drew. [article no longer online]

Tory Shadow DEFRA Sec had £24,500 donations from hunters

20-10-09   Daily Mail    Tories face parliamentary probe over 'cash from pro-hunt groups'    Parliamentary sleaze watchdogs are being urged to investigate donations to the Tories from individuals and groups with links to fox hunting. The League Against Cruel Sports wrote to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon last night, asking him to look into donations made to frontbencher Nick Herbert [right, Credit Pink News] following his confirmation that the Tories would offer a free vote on repealing Labour's hunting ban. Of seven donations totalling £24,500 to the shadow environment secretary's office, four came from people and organisations with known links to hunting, it said. They included £1,500 from hunting outfitter William & Sons, £2,000 from grouse moor owner Michael Cannon, £2,000 from the Altnaharra Estate in Sutherland and £5,000 from Johan Christofferson, former master of the Isle of Wight Hunt.

League chief executive Douglas Batchelor said: 'We have serious concerns that Mr Herbert's judgment on this issue has been compromised following large cash donations from hunt supporters. We believe he has breached conduct by accepting the cash and we would urge for a full and transparent inquiry into the matter.'

Critics pointed out that before Labour offered a vote on the hunting ban, it accepted a £1m donation from the head of the world's wealthiest animal protection organisation, the US-based International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Mr Herbert insisted yesterday the Hunting Act had proved 'unworkable' and was an 'affront to civil liberties'. He insisted that repealing the ban was not the Conservatives' top priority, pointing out that a new government would need to focus on rebuilding the economy, reversing unemployment, and reforming public services. But he confirmed the Tory manifesto would include a promise to provide government time for a free vote on hunting if they win power next spring.

The party has not yet decided whether to introduce a simple one-line bill repealing Labour's Hunting Act 2004, or ask MPs to vote on a new framework of safeguards to regulate future hunts. Mr Herbert said the Tories could create a new regulatory body for fox-hunting to reassure voters that animal suffering will be minimised if the ban is repealed.

'The hunting bodies have been working on a proposal to set up some kind of regulatory authority. I think the public will want to be sure that all country sports, including hunting, are conducted properly, minimising animal suffering,' he said. 'We will want to ensure, if we are making proposals to a new Parliament, that people can be sure that animals are going to be at the forefront of people's thinking.'

A Conservative spokesman said: 'There has been no change in the party's policy on hunting from our 2005 manifesto and David Cameron repeated the position last year. 'The idea that our policy or Nick Herbert's views on this issue, which are well known and longstanding, have recently been influenced by any donation is therefore absurd. All donations are transparent and have been declared in the proper manner.

POWAperson comments  -  Nick Herbert is among the most pro-hunt of Tory MPs - I once debated against him [and won]. He was a hare-hunting Master for many years and also held a very senior position in the Countryside Alliance. So it's scarcely likely that his views on the subject will have been influenced by his hunter friends and admirers sponsoring him.. The real issue here is whether or not he is fit to be policing minister, and in a position to influence forces' handling of the Hunting Act.  

Lush stores vandalised, staff threatened after announce support for HSA

19-10-09 Independent Vandals target anti-hunting Lush - Branches of ethical cosmetics chain attacked after campaign launched in support of saboteurs They have donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to direct action guerrillas. Now, they have found themselves under attack.

In the past week, the cosmetics chain Lush has seen its branches vandalised and its staff threatened, immediately after it launched an anti-fox hunting campaign. In Chelmsford, Essex, a man returned to the same store on three occasions to knock over a display of Fabulous Mrs Fox bubble bars, the proceeds from which Lush donates to the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA). Staff called police.

Store manager Sue McKenna said: "He first came in on Tuesday, knocked over all the bubble bars and leaflets, and said he was going to come back every day until the campaign stops. Then he ran out. When he came back the third time, an off-duty police officer was in the shop, who told him to leave. It was then that we rang 999." Essex police were unavailable to comment on the incident last night.

In Manchester, members of the HSA had been invited to the Lush store to help with the campaign and hand out leaflets. But a few days before the event, a man entered the shop and told a member of staff that "there will be trouble" if it went ahead. Staff contacted police, and were relieved when the event on Saturday passed without incident.

In Maidstone, Kent, a kebab was smeared over the shop front and the words 'Fuck You' scratched into the glass, while in Taunton, Somerset, an anonymous caller told staff to "watch their backs". Promotional campaign blackboards were also covered with "Keep Hunting" stickers, photos of which appeared on the online forum of the magazine Horse & Hound.

The Countryside Alliance, which has been highly critical of Lush's decision to support the HSA, has urged hunt supporters not to target the stores. In a statement, the charity, which campaigns to overturn the ban on fox hunting, said: "It is important to realise that while the rural community is deeply upset at Lush's misguided decision to support the Hunt Saboteurs Association, any sort of direct, abusive or tactical protest, illegal or legal, is not appropriate and such action will most definitely not be supported by the Countryside Alliance."

The Alliance had previously criticised Lush for supporting the HSA, saying it "advocates direct action and illegal methods to disrupt hunting activities". Head of media Tim Bonner said: "While we support the view that everyone has their right to an opinion, there are groups who legally oppose hunting, and the HSA is not one of them."

Hunt saboteurs have been regularly criticised for the methods they employ in disrupting hunts. Many hunt followers tell tales of having been pulled from their horses by "sabs".

Lee Moon, of the HSA, said: "The only reason the HSA continues to exist is because Hunts up and down the country routinely break the law while killing foxes. We are the only ones who see what is really going on in the countryside, and it's we who are responding to it by getting between the hunters and the hunted, much the same as we have been doing for almost half a century. The hunts are still killing, the police aren't policing and so we are still sabbing."

The company, founded by Mark Constantine, donated more than £500,000 to charities and campaign groups last year. In December 2008 it paid the legal fees of the 56 protesters from Plane Stupid who broke into Stansted airport and delayed thousands of passengers.

POWAperson comments  -   Not content with terrorising their wild animal victims, hunters have now started terrorising the mostly young, female staff of this company. 

Tories cave to hunters - HA repeal will be by government bill

'We will put full force' behind overturning Labour's Act

17-10-09     Sunday Telegraph    David Cameron government will put full force before hunting ban The Tory leadership today attempted to kill off internal rows over the hunting ban with a pledge to throw the full weight of a future Conservative government behind repeal.

Nick Herbert, the shadow environment secretary, moved to allay fears in the hunting community over the Tories’ intentions by spelling out publicly for the first time that the Tories would use a Government bill in Government time to repeal the Hunting Act.

His comments came after senior Conservatives suggested last weekend that they were considering a series of options for repealing the ban including use of a backbench private member’s bill. This caused consternation among countryside campaigners who believe a backbench bill would mean David Cameron distancing himself from the issue. Such a bill would also be less effective than government legislation and could be wrecked by Labour amendments or run out of parliamentary time.

In an article for The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Herbert effectively ruled out a backbench bill and said the party had decided to bring forward government legislation. He said hunting was one of a series of “bad Labour laws” which had overridden individual rights and which the Tories would seek to overturn.

Mr Herbert said: “Some argue that the Hunting Act is so ineffective that it might as well be left on the Statute Book. But this is bad law, and bad laws should be repealed. While prosecutions have so far mainly failed, it is the professional hunt staff, whose livelihoods depend on their employment, who have found themselves in the dock and who still fear arrest, with all the worry and opprobrium that very public and drawn out prosecutions entail. Above all, the Act sits with ID cards, the attempt to introduce 42 day detention and the removal of trial by jury for fraud cases as an affront to civil liberties. It is but one of Labour’s laws that have overridden individual rights and asserted the power of the State. For all these reasons, there is a compelling case to sweep this law off the Statute Book. That is why David Cameron has said that, if we are elected, we will give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote, with a government bill in government time. There will be no watering down or retreat from this pledge, which will be repeated in our election manifesto.”

Mr Herbert moved to clarify the position after senior Conservatives at the party’s annual conference suggested privately that a backbench bill was being considered because Mr Cameron did not want to get bogged down in the hunting issue by bringing forward a government bill. Hunting groups, who are helping the party campaign in marginal seats, warned of a “firestorm” of protest if the issue was relegated. Attempting to calm fears, Mr Herbert said he was confident that a new Conservative government could repeal the ban speedily.

“Tony Blair used up 700 hours of Parliamentary time on hunting, far more than was devoted to the invasion of Iraq, and he prevaricated over the issue. We have no intention of making the same mistake. There is so much that we will need to do for the countryside, let alone the country: restoring respect for rural people; returning power to rural communities; recognising the social value in important local services; reviving the rural economy; rebuilding British farming; tackling regulation and paring down the rural quangos. Allowing the new Parliament an early opportunity to revisit a discredited law will not be a distraction from our wider agenda: it will simply be the right thing to do. I will certainly vote for repeal, and so I hope will a majority of the new Commons. And with no more ado we can then move on, forging a positive agenda for conservation and the countryside, and putting the politics of prejudice and division behind us.”

Mr Herbert said Labour’s 2004 ban on hunting was “an act of spite. It attempted to create two nations, dividing town and country. It treated the rural minority with contempt, bordering on hatred.”

MFHA Chair advises Hunts to avoid conflict with sabs

10-10-09   Horse & Hound   Hunts warned to avoid conflict with monitors    UK hunts are being warned to avoid confrontations with antis this season after concerns that "hunt monitors" are trying to bait followers. In a letter sent to packs last month, Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) chairman Stephen Lambert said: "Their [the monitors'] prime objective is, without doubt, to inflame our supporters and trigger a serious public order incident in which hunting people will be shown as the aggressors… The Heythrop and Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and South Berks (VAGSB) has experienced an increase in activity by monitors, including Protect Our Wild Animals (POWA) members Penny Little and Peter Bunce, in the past few weeks. Guy Portwin, senior master of the VAGSB, said: "The hunt has been targeted by local monitors about six times so far this season. Several complaints have been made to police by the hunt, including concerning the filming of children...   [article no longer online]

Wannabe Tory MP, CA CEO Simon Hart, had £42k donations from Hunt JMs

3-10-09     POWA has discovered from the Electoral Commission website that Simon Hart, Countryside Alliance CEO, standing for the Tories in Carmarthen West, has received funding from 2 foxhunters, Lord Daresbury and Johan Christofferson, totalling £42,000.

Lord Daresbury is a former Chairman of the Master of Fox Hounds Association. It was he, in that capacity, who wrote, in 2004, to Hunt Chairmen urging them to persuade 'their' farmers to provide breeding sites for foxes as numbers to hunt were running low. This only came to light because someone leaked an email from Simon Hart to him, excoriating Daresbury for doing such a stupid thing that would provide ammunition for the anti-hunt [by blowing the 'pest control' argument out of the water]. His donation to Hart was presumably Daresbury's version of an apology!

The great bulk of the £42,000, however, came from Christofferson. He is an American hedge fund manager who was then senior JM of the Isle of Wight Fox Hounds [and a bountiful donor to the Conservative Party, having given them nearly a quarter of a million]. In September 2004, his Huntsman and terrierman carried out an outrageous and disgusting pro-hunting stunt. At the time of the Labour Party conference in Brighton, just after the Hunting Bill had received a massive vote in favour in the Commons, they dumped the carcasses of a horse and a cow in public spaces in the city centre, speared with pro-hunt placards. Both were later convicted of disorderly conduct.

Although Christofferson was not charged, the MFHA, who rarely sanction their members almost no matter what they have done, suspended him for a month for failing to prevent his servant's idiotic and repulsive act. Christofferson later moved to Jedforest FH in the Scottish borders, taking his delinquent Huntsman, Stuart Trousdale, with him. The terrierman, Jamie Butcher, who already had a conviction for badger digging and was soon to be fined for indecent exposure in front of female sabs, remained with the IoW FH.  

SEPTEMBER 2009

….. 25th September - Only just over one in five rural voters want Hunting Act scrapped

….. 24th September - Welsh anti named 'Best local campaigner' by Viva!

….. 23rd September - 2 women villagers to make film about trauma caused by Hunt invasions