Bath and North East Somerset Council Campaign

Why Bath and North East Somerset?

Hunting is rife in Bath and North East Somerset, with 5 different hunts active across the area hunting foxes, mink, and hare with hounds. Building on our campaign in the Somerset Council area, we are taking the fight to end hunting further into Somerset.

Just like most hunts across England, hunters in Somerset hide behind the smokescreen of ‘trail’ hunting, where they claim to be following a scent trail. This was described as a sham and a mirage, designed to let them carry on with ‘old fashioned illegal hunting’, at the trial of Mark Hankinson, former director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association.

What do we want?

To protect wildlife, nature, and residents in Bath and North East Somerset from the harm and havoc caused by hunts and their followers.

We are calling on Bath and North East Somerset Council to ban so-called trail hunting, exempt hunting, or any form of hunt meets on public land.

Why now?

With elections coming in May 2023 and a general election still likely to be over a year away, now is the time for local policymakers to take a stand against hunting and take practical steps to counter illegal activity by hunts in the county.

With voters going to the polls in May, there is no better time than now for councillors to act and protect wildlife in their patch from being hunted and killed by packs of hounds.

What are we doing?

We have launched a new petition to give Bath and North East Somerset residents a chance to raise their voices for animals and tell their council that it is time for change.

Local people are coming together to form a new League Against Cruel Sports Supporter Group and these League campaigners will be out around the county, gathering signatures to end hunting on Bath and North East Somerset Council land.

As well as speaking to people on the streets, we will be sharing stories from those whose lives have been blighted by the hunts. We will show people what the hunts really get up to.

To compliment the campaign, we are working with local policymakers and stakeholders behind the scenes to build support to ban hunting on public land.