Campaigners in Exeter call for stronger fox hunting laws

Campaigners from national animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports were protesting in Exeter today to expose the savagery of fox and deer hunting that is still going on in the West Country despite the ban.

A League ‘huntsman’ carrying a (fake) fox covered in blood paraded around the city centre accompanied by the sound of baying hunt hounds, and spoke to the Exeter public about the need for stronger hunting laws.

The protest was held in advance of the UK government’s consultation on fox hunting set to take place this autumn, and coincided with the West of England Hound Show in Honiton, where hunt hounds were being paraded.

John Petrie, senior campaigns manager with the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “Fox hunting has been illegal for 20 years and yet this blood sport is still going on the West Country despite the ban. Foxes are still being chased and killed and havoc is being inflicted on rural communities by the hunts.

“The public, shocked by the sight of a hunter in red coat and blood-spattered fox, came up to us today to voice their support for stronger fox hunting laws and an end to fox hunting for good.”

Polling commissioned last year by the League and carried out by FindOutNow with further analysis by Electoral Calculus showed more than three quarters (78 per cent) of the public in South West England supported strengthening the Hunting Act.

The League published figures earlier this year from the most recent fox and cub hunting seasons revealing the West Country was the worst hunting hot spot in England.

There were 272 incidents of suspected illegal hunting with 225 foxes seen being pursued, and 550 reports of hunts causing havoc in rural communities.

This havoc was made up of incidents entirely inconsistent with the discredited excuse of trail hunting invented by hunts which purport to follow a scent laid by themselves – hounds running loose on busy roads, trespass, threatening and irresponsible behaviour, and causing harm or distress to other animals such as family pets.

The figures showed Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall were the worst five counties for incidents of suspected illegal hunting in the whole of England.

The worst offending hunts were all in the West Country – the Eggesford Hunt in Devon, Mendip Farmers Hunt and Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt in Somerset, the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt in Gloucestershire and South Dorset Hunt in Dorset.

John added: “It’s time to properly strengthen the Hunting Act and end all hunting with hounds and we urge the public in the West Country to pledge to take part in the forthcoming government consultation and demand an end to hunting wildlife with dogs.

“This is a pivotal moment for animal welfare and together we can see fox hunting finally banned for good in England and Wales.”

Ends

Notes to editors

For information or interview requests, please contact the League Against Cruel Sports Press Office on 01483 524280 or email pressoffice@league.org.uk

Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales when the Hunting Act came into force on February 18, 2005.

Find Out Now interviewed 5,379 GB adults online from 26 March-2 April 2024. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults by gender, age, social grade, other demographics and past voting patterns.

Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus are both members of the British Polling Council and abide by its rules.

A full breakdown of the data is available here: https://electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/DataTables_LACS_Jun2024.xlsx

The full sets of data for the 2024/2025 fox and cub hunting seasons are available on request. The figures are compiled from the charity’s confidential Animal Crimewatch service and hunt monitors’ reports by the League’s intelligence team, which is staffed by former police officers and civilian analysts.

Trail hunting, the excuse often used by hunts, has been described by temporary assistant chief constable Matt Longman, the national lead on fox hunting crime, as a “smokescreen for illegal fox hunting”. He also described illegal hunting as “prolific”.

The League Against Cruel Sports is Britain's leading 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, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 and bans on the use of snares brought about by the Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023, and Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

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. Find out more about our work at www.league.org.uk. Registered charity in England and Wales (no.1095234) and Scotland (no.SC045533).