As hunts prepare for traditional Boxing Day meets, campaigners demand action on the government’s pledge to ban trail hunting, amid concerns it’s being used to mask illegal activities
Campaigners are calling on the Government to deliver on its manifesto pledge to ban trail hunting as hunts gather for the traditional Boxing Day meets.
The practice, in which a scent is laid across the countryside for hounds and riders to follow, is an alternative to banned fox hunting. While not all hunts break the rules, it is alleged that some use it as a smokescreen for illegal activity. The League Against Cruel Sports said figures compiled by its intelligence team found that since the beginning of August, 186 foxes were reported being pursued by hunts and there were 220 reports relating to suspected illegal hunting.
There were also 553 reports of hunt havoc, in which hounds caused disruption such as chasing other wild animals or pets, worrying livestock or causing traffic incidents, the organisation said. Emma Judd, its head of campaigns, said: “Hunts may claim they are following a pre-laid animal scent trail, but this has been shown to be a smokescreen to conceal illegal hunting.”
She said trail hunting and loopholes in the Hunting Act made it “all but impossible” to enforce the law, and called for the Government to strengthen the legislation and introduce custodial sentences for those hunting wild animals with dogs. Dan Norris, Labour MP for North East Somerset and chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports, urged ministers to “listen to the majority view, including in rural areas, to close the legal loopholes that allow needless cruelty to animals”.
But the Countryside Alliance has warned further changes to the law are completely unjustified, as people were carrying out a legitimate, legal activity that brought the rural community together. Tim Bonner, the lobby group’s chief executive, also said it would be extraordinary for Labour to focus on it given the poor state of relations with rural communities. It faces issues such as changes to inheritance tax for farm businesses and an acceleration of the phaseout of farming subsidies.
He added: “Given where the government is in its relationship with the countryside already, frankly it would seem extraordinary that they’d want to double down on an issue which doesn’t matter.”
A spokesman for the Environment Department (Defra) confirmed the Government planned to ban trail hunting, saying: “We are committed to a ban on trail hunting, which is being exploited to kill foxes and hares.”
