Secret footage, filmed over the summer by hunt saboteurs, shows employees, believed to be from the North Cotswold hunt, carrying out activities that would strongly suggest they are flouting the Hunting Act.
The hunt can be seen feeding foxes near a disused badger sett that is used by foxes in order to maintain a steady supply of foxes in a particular location. This location is a popular meet of theirs and the footage shows them actively hunting their hounds in that precise spot. Members of the hunt can also be seen blocking up an artificial earth in order to stop the fox being able to seek refuse when being chased by hounds. A fox can then clearly be seen running past the blocked earth closely pursued by hounds who are being encouraged to chase it by hunt supporters.
Some of these acts, such as encouraging hounds to chase the fox, are illegal in their own right. Others, such as the feeding of foxes, while not illegal in themselves show an intent by the hunt to encourage foxes to an area where they like to hunt. Presumably this can only be because they wish to hunt these foxes in direct contravention of the Hunting Act.
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The Hunt Saboteurs Association believe such activities are endemic amongst hunts in the UK and this is the first expose of many that we will be giving to the national media over the coming months.
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