Hunting Act Convictions – the HSA Leads the Way!
When the Hunting Act came into force in February 2005, we were all hopeful that it would see the end of animals being hunted and killed by packs of hounds, at least overtly. We were sorely disappointed, as some police Chief Constable openly stated they would not police the act and hunt sabs, who were used to numerous police officers attending hunts to hassle them, disappeared overnight as the police suddenly had ‘no resources’ to police them. The police have mainly used the act against hare coursers, with a single conviction in 2007 on the Flint & Denbigh Hunt from evidence gathered by the police.