Hunt slammed for desecrating tranquil burial site

A pack of hounds from the Middleton Hunt have been caught running amok through a woodland burial site in North Yorkshire last week.

Footage captured by national animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports shows the hounds marauding through the Mowthorpe Garden of Rest within the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, running across graves unchecked by the hunt.

The League’s chief executive, Emma Slawinksi, has slammed the hunt for its actions.

She said: “It beggars belief that the hunt would have laid a trail through a burial site so either the Middleton Hunt has no regard for the sanctity of this site or, as is more likely, the hounds were on the trail of a fox.

“They have desecrated this burial site in a bid to carry on with a blood sport that was banned 20 years ago.

“Hunts are behaving in an appalling way, intent on chasing and killing foxes and not caring about their anti-social behaviour and the impact they are having on local communities and the people who live in the countryside.”

The hounds were also caught terrorising local wildlife with two deer filmed fleeing for their lives.

The footage of the Middleton Hunt is being released after Channel 4 News aired footage on Friday which was gathered by the League and showed the same hunt’s hounds chasing a fox on Christmas Eve.

The League released figures ahead of Boxing Day showing an increase in the number of reports of foxes being chased and hunts wreaking havoc on rural communities which received widespread media and online coverage.

Trail hunting has been described by chief superintendent Matt Longman, the national lead on fox hunting crime, as a “smokescreen for illegal fox hunting”. He also described illegal hunting as “prolific”.

The government has announced it will launch a consultation to ban trail hunting, though this has been delayed.

Emma added: “I would urge the public who are sick and tired of the behaviour of fox hunts to take part in the government’s hunting consultation.

“The time for change is now. We want to see trail hunting banned, the loopholes in the law removed, the end of so-called ‘accidental’ hunting, and jail sentences introduced to act as a deterrent for those who would break new stronger fox hunting laws.”

· More about how to take part in the consultation, and how people can make their voice heard, is available here: https://www.league.org.uk/hunting_consultation

Ends

Notes to editors

For information or interview requests, please contact the League Against Cruel Sports Press Office on 01483 524250 or email pressoffice@league.org.uk

Here is a link to a delisted YouTube video of the hounds running amok in the burial site.

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

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).