“Brazen” hunt throws fox to hounds to be ripped apart

Press release, for immediate release

November 12, 2025

A hunt has been slammed by national wildlife charity the League Against Cruel Sports for its “brazen” cruelty in digging up a fox and throwing it to the hounds in the Lake District.

Drone footage captured by the Lake District Hunt Saboteurs shows the Coniston Foxhounds pursuing a fox across land within the national park before the animal then goes to ground.

The drone films members of the hunt digging the fox out of the hole, with a terrier – which the hunt used to try and flush the fox out – still clamped to the fox by its jaws.

Having removed the dog a member of the hunt then carries the fox some distance away before releasing it into the path of the hounds to be torn apart.

The footage has been made public by the Hunt Saboteurs Association.

Emma Slawinski, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “Make no mistake, this is what fox hunting in 2025 looks like. It’s not one time, it’s not one hunt – it’s happening all the time, all across the country, over and over again.

“The Hunting Act was supposed to have stopped this, but we know the law is too weak. It’s time for change and for the law to be strengthened so hunts like this, brazen in their cruelty, never even attempt to persecute British wildlife for fun.”

Hunting wild mammals such as fox, deer, otters, hare and mink was outlawed 20 years ago when the Hunting Act 2004 came into force. Since then hunts have used a number of exemptions in that law to get around the ban, and invented so-called trail hunting to try and convince onlookers and the police that they are following a pre-laid scent.

However, senior police offices and judges have dismissed trail hunting as nothing but a smokescreen that allows old fashioned illegal hunting to continue despite the law being clear that hunting wild mammals with dogs is banned.

Cumbria Police are investigating this incident.

The League has recently published figures which show the scale of cub hunting in the UK, a practice that takes place between August and the end of October by which the hunts train their hounds to track – and potentially kill – young foxes.

The figures, showed more than 100 reports of foxes being chased by hunts and over 300 reports of hunts wreaking havoc on rural communities.

Emma said: “These figures are chilling, highlighting a brutal world of fox cubs being illegally chased and torn apart, and hunts inflicting misery on rural residents, despite the fox hunting ban.

“The vast majority of the public, both in towns and the countryside, will be horrified to hear about this terrible cruelty being inflicted on animals.”

Ends

Notes to editors

The footage is available here: https://www.huntsabs.org.uk/chris-packham-slams-cruel-lake-district-fox-hunt/

Interviews with Emma Slawinksi are available on request, as are the full breakdowns of the League’s latest stats on cub hunting, by contacting the League Against Cruel Sports Press Office on 01483 524250 or email pressoffice@league.org.uk

The League Against Cruel Sports is Britain's leading animal charity that works to stop animals being persecuted, abused and killed for sport. The League was instrumental in helping bring about the landmark Hunting Act 2004 and the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021.

We carry out investigations to expose law-breaking and cruelty to animals and campaign for stronger animal protection laws and penalties. We work to change attitudes and behaviour through education and manage wildlife reserves to protect wildlife. Find out more about our work at www.league.org.uk. Registered charity in England and Wales (no.1095234) and Scotland (no.SC045533).