Santa backs calls for a proper ban on fox hunting as campaign launches in Birmingham

Press release, for immediate release

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Campaigners from national animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports were in Birmingham today to launch its Christmas Fair Campaign, which calls for stronger hunting laws in England and Wales.

The League is also asking for loopholes in the Hunting Act to be removed and the introduction of custodial sentences to further deter those intent on breaking the law.

Birmingham’s shoppers were urged by campaigners – and Santa himself – to take part in the government consultation on ending hunting, due to be launched early next year.

Emma Slawinski, chief executive at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “This is a pivotal moment for animal welfare and, with support from the public and the people we’ve spoken to at the Christmas Market today, we can finally see an end illegal fox hunting on the horizon.

“The so-called sport has been banned for 20 years but tragically still goes on so we need stronger laws which work properly and allow the police and courts to effectively prosecute offenders.”

The League was last in Birmingham in early September, just as the cub hunting season began, to highlight the cruelty and persistent illegality of hunts in the country to shoppers and visitors alike.

The season takes place between the end of August and beginning of October, and earlier this month the charity published a new set of figures which show the extent of suspected illegal hunting, and the havoc within rural communities caused by hunts.

The League’s figures showed 111 reports of foxes being chased and 319 reports of hunts inflicting havoc - including trespass on private property, attacks on people’s pets and other wildlife species, livestock worrying, hounds loose on roads, and hunts causing road traffic accidents.

Emma said: “Cub hunting is where hunt hounds are set loose in woodland or coverts to learn to kill by tearing apart foxes predominantly born this year – with many hounds that fail to make the grade being destroyed.

“None of these reports would have been made had the hunt been following a pre-laid trail as they often claim to do.”

Trail hunting was invented by hunts after the fox hunting ban came into force 20 years ago and has been described by Chief Superintendent Matt Longman, the most senior police officer in England with responsibility for fox hunting crime, as a “smokescreen for illegal fox hunting”.

Emma added: “The time for change is now – trail hunting needs to be banned as it is being used to conceal illegal fox hunting from the public, police and courts.

“Banning trail hunting will not protect every animal persecuted by hunts and we need the loopholes in the Hunting Act to be removed, and jail sentences introduced for those who carry on brutally chasing and killing foxes.”

· Find out more about the forthcoming consultation 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 524280 or email pressoffice@league.org.uk. Photos from the event are available upon request.

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

The full set of data for the 2025 fox cub hunting seasons are available on request. The figures are compiled from reports to the charity’s confidential Animal Crimewatch serviceand from hunt monitor and hunt saboteur online reports analysed by the League’s intelligence team, which is staffed by former police officers and civilian analysts.

The figures are believed to be just the tip of the iceberg showing only those hunts being monitored.

Matt Longman, the national lead on fox hunting crime, has 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).