Fox thrown to hounds – another Avon Vale Hunt member sentenced
A terrierman who was working for the now disbanded Avon Vale Hunt when he ‘supervised’ a live fox being thrown to a pack of hounds in December 2020 has been sentenced. 38-year-old Thomas Ledbury pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting another to commit the offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a fox. Ledbury, who lives […]
GUILTY: Former Avon Vale Hunt thugs charged with illegal hunting
Two ex-members of the Avon Vale Hunt pleaded guilty to illegal hunting at Swindon Magistrates Court on Wednesday 5 July. Aaron Fookes, who was whipper-in, and Stuart Radbourne, who was hunt master, were charged along with a third man, terrierman Alex Warden, after they were caught on video terrorising two foxes. Fookes also pleaded guilty […]
Avon Vale Hunt finally charged after digging out foxes
Three members of the Avon Vale Hunt have been charged and will appear in court in July. Footage, which shows the men digging out two foxes and throwing one to hounds, sparked national outrage when it was aired in February. Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs announced on Facebook: “Whipper-in Aaron Fookes charged under Animal Welfare Act and […]
BREAKING: Hunt’s governing body permanently expels the Avon Vale Hunt
The British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) has permanently expelled the Avon Vale Hunt. The body had previously suspended the hunt after gruesome footage showed hunt members digging out two foxes. Hunt sabs say that this is “the end of the Avon Vale as they exist.” The video, which was leaked and published by the Hunt […]
Police arrest two more in connection with Avon Vale Hunt video
Police have arrested two more people in connection with the Avon Vale Hunt video. Wiltshire Police said that it had arrested two people on suspicion of wildlife offences on 14 February. It said the man and woman, both 25, were suspected of “hunting a wild mammal with dogs, interfering with badger setts and causing unnecessary […]
BREAKING: Three members of the Avon Vale Hunt arrested
Wiltshire Police have arrested three men from the Avon Vale Hunt on the morning of 10 February following footage of the hunt involved in the dig out of two foxes. ITV News reporter Rupert Evelyn said on Twitter that Wiltshire Police arrested three men on 10 February following publication of footage appearing to show an […]
GOOD NEWS: Avon Vale Hunt bites the bullet
Following publication of video showing members of the Avon Vale Hunt digging out a fox, hunting’s governing body has ‘permanently expelled’ its key members. On 8 February, the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) and ITV News published mobile phone footage showing several members of the Avon Vale Hunt involved in the dig out of two foxes. […]
Avon Vale Hunt laughing as two foxes ‘dug out’ and hunted
Footage purportedly showing terriermen involved in digging out a fox was published by the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) and ITV News on 8 February. The video shows three men leaning into a freshly dug hole in a field, with one man pulling a terrier out. The video pans around to show hunt masters, staff and […]
Blackmore and Sparkford Vale hounds tear up fox in residential garden
Hunting hounds caused yet more havoc this week when the notorious Blackmore and Sparkford Vale’s dogs ran rampage in a residential garden, chasing and killing a fox. The heartbreaking incident took place in West Camel, Somerset, on 11 November. Footage was captured on the home’s security camera and given to North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs. The […]
Bolting foxes: Exposing the real face of hunting
Hunts across the country have held their opening meets in recent weeks as yet another fox hunting ‘season’ gets underway. To mark the season’s start, the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) released three videos – recorded by hunters themselves – that demonstrate the despicable practice of ‘bolting’. The main fox hunting season runs from the end […]
GUILTY! Weston and Banwell Hunt terriermen convicted of assault
The 2024/25 hunting season is just about getting underway, with hunts terrorising fox cubs around the country right now. But there’s good news: yet more hunters have been found guilty in court. Somerset Sabs wrote of the court case: “The shovel-wielding Weston and Banwell terriermen. Ian Dinham and Brian (Anthony) Pearce finally had their day […]
Another hunter sentenced for animal cruelty, but escapes prison
Greg Baker, former huntsman of the Llandeilo Farmers Hunt, has been found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to animals. Five horses and one hound suffered from severe abuse under his care. The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) and South Wales Hunt Saboteurs stated that the RSPCA had raided Baker’s property, and found that the horses were: […]
TAKE ACTION: Tell the ‘World’s Best Boutique Hotel’ to disassociate itself from fox hunting
Yesterday we launched a petition to demand that The Newt in Somerset hotel stop hosting the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. Over 5000 people have already signed. In the following post we give more details about why the petition was launched and why it is so important. The Newt must disassociate from fox hunting Hunts […]
GREAT NEWS! Yet another hunt is going…
The Pendle Forest and Craven Harriers, a hare hunt covering Lancashire and North Yorkshire and based at kennels at Coniston Hall near Skipton, are disbanding. They join a long list of hunts folding as landowners and the public turn more and more against them. The Hunt made the announcement on 12 March, saying that the […]
Hunting: A Case for Change. Thousands of foxes still being chased or killed
Protect the Wild recently published “Hunting: A Case for Change“, a 50-page report that offers a thorough examination of hunting practices during the 2022/23 season, focusing predominantly on fox, hare, and deer hunting in England and Wales. Author Glen Black utilised a combination of online data from anti-hunting groups, public reports, and activist observations to […]
Fantastic news! Another hunt bites the dust
Beds and Bucks Hunt Sabs have confirmed that the Oakley Hunt will be folding at the end of this hunting season. The sabs have had the news confirmed by a number of sources. The Oakley has hunted foxes in four counties – Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, and Buckinghamshire. Like other hunts across the UK, it has […]
Suspension of disgraced hunt just token gesture
On 26 January, we reported that the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale (BSV) Hunt had been suspended by hunting’s governing body. But it’s now been revealed that the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) has only banned the hunt for a total of three weeks. The BSV is now continuing to hunt until the end of February. […]
BREAKING NEWS! Notorious Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt suspended
North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs’ drone footage has captured the moment the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale (BSV) Hunt’s hounds ripped up a fox. And now the notorious hunt has finally been suspended by hunting’s so-called ‘governing body’. Channel 4 News broadcast the footage to the nation on the evening of 25 January. The harrowing video, captured […]
It’s official – more hunts merge!
The British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) – hunting’s self-titled ‘governing body’ – has officially confirmed that the Southdown and Eridge Hunt is merging with the East Sussex and Romney Marsh Hunt. This welcome news shows that hunts are really struggling to stay afloat. The news came on 17 January, when the BHSA announced that it […]
Oliver Thompson: hunter avoids prison after torturing foxes
Former huntsman Oliver Thompson has walked free from prison after baiting foxes. Thompson was given a suspended sentence of 20 weeks, meaning that if he isn’t caught breaking the law in the next two years, he will not go to jail. The RSPCA successfully prosecuted the hunter, who consequently was forced to leave his role […]
Hunter arrested after attacking saboteur with a shovel
A terrierman for the Weston and Banwell with West Somerset Vale Hunt has been arrested by the police after a public appeal for his location. The search began after the man attacked a hunt saboteur with a shovel on 18 November. Avon and Somerset Police announced: “A man has been arrested as part of an […]
Depraved hunt master throws fox to hounds as child watches
Serial offender Stuart Radbourne has been sentenced for throwing a fox to hounds as a child watched. The dogs tore the live fox to shreds on Christmas Eve in 2020, and the incident was filmed and shared with others. Radbourne, who was hunt master for the Avon Vale, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to […]
Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt murder or dig out foxes three times in one week
Earlier this year, the public was outraged when ITV News broadcast the Avon Vale Hunt digging out two foxes. On 21 September 2023, North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs caught the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt (BSV) doing the exact same thing. The sabs also caught the hunt trying to dig out another fox just days later, […]
TRIAL DATE FIXED: Avon Vale terrierman to face jury
A trial date has been set for notorious Avon Vale terrierman Alex Warden. He will go to trial in Salisbury Crown Court on 21 December 2023. He is complicit in hounds tearing apart one fox, and chasing another. The Avon Vale Hunt made national headlines when a video was passed onto the Hunt Saboteurs Association […]
SumUp denies hunts card payment services
It’s been one blow after another for fox hunters these past couple of years. Struggling to stay afloat, a number of hunts have shut down or amalgamated. And now they have been hit with yet another financial woe: they have been banned from taking card payments at their fundraising events. This is a major victory […]
If Labour get into power they MUST deal with rampant illegal fox hunting
As we reflect on the most recent fox hunting season, the horrors that have come to light are beyond comprehension. Incidents of unspeakable cruelty, perpetrated by some hunts across the UK, have revealed the urgent need for comprehensive action. Members of the Avon Vale Hunt throwing live foxes to hounds, the West Norfolk Foxhounds cornering […]
Melbreak Huntsman Christopher Nixon convicted of assault (Part One)
On the 12th of June, Christopher Nixon, the Melbreak Hunt’s huntmaster, was convicted of the common assault of Darren Ward, and fined a total of £945. The assault by Nixon, who was challenged while walking with seven dogs on land owned by Mr Ward, was recorded on a phone and used as evidence in court. […]
Freshly unearthed video shows former huntsman torturing a fox cub
On 21 June, the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) publicly shared footage of a man using a terrier to abuse a fox cub. It said the man in the footage was Oliver Thompson, the former huntsman of the Old Berkshire Hunt. The mobile phone footage first shows the man using a spade handle to roughly remove […]
Norfolk police charge three men over viral footage hunting incident
Norfolk Constabulary has said that it’s filed a number of charges against three men from the West Norfolk Foxhounds over two hunting incidents in February. According to the police, the first of these incidents occurred at Tittleshall on 8 February, during which Norfolk/Suffolk Hunt Saboteurs said the West Norfolk Foxhounds chased a fox. The second […]
Cotswold Hunt sanctions aren’t enough: it needs to be shut down
Hunt’s governing body, the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), has failed to take any meaningful lasting action against the criminal Cotswold Hunt. The BHSA suspended the Cotswold Hunt in March after Channel 4 exposed harrowing footage of a fox, who had been bundled into a bag by the hunt and buried alive. But a BHSA […]
Why not strengthen the Hunting Act?
Why not strengthen the Hunting Act? A new Bill? Why not strengthen the Hunting Act instead? We need a proper ban on hunting, which is why we commissioned Advocates for Animals to help us campaign for a new law – The Hunting of Mammals Bill. But why not work to strengthen the existing legislation? Protect […]
Hunt saboteurs hit back at Countryside Alliance ‘meltdown’
The Countryside Alliance (CA) is up in arms over Wiltshire Police’s decision not to employ fox hunters on its Rural Crime Team. It has launched a campaign to try to reverse the “unjust and divisive decision immediately”. Wiltshire Police announced that it would not employ hunters, past or present, onto its Rural Crime Team (RCT) […]
The Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 In force since 18 February 2005, the Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which bans the hunting of most wild mammals (notably foxes, deer, hares and mink) with dogs in England and Wales. The Act does not cover the use of dogs in the […]
Cotswold Hunt suspended after fox is buried alive in a sack
The British Hound Sports Association has suspended the Cotswold Hunt after a fox was bundled into a bag and buried alive. Harrowing footage, captured by Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch on Saturday 18 March, was shown on Channel 4 News. A hunt saboteur, known as Magpie, told the news channel: “As I got down to about […]
VICTORY! Wiltshire Police’s Rural Crime Team will no longer employ fox hunters
Hunt saboteurs have claimed a victory after Wiltshire Police announced that it has conducted a review into its Rural Crime Team (RCT). The review comes after public outrage at the appointment of police officer Cheryl Knight into the RCT. Knight has several connections to fox hunting, including field riding with the Beaufort Hunt, as well […]
Vale of White Horse Hunt: fox hunting case dropped due to police and CPS errors
Swindon magistrates dismissed the case against Duncan and Verity Drewett due to a series of apparent errors by Wiltshire Police and Wessex Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Two people associated with the Vale of White Horse Hunt were due to have a trial at Swindon Magistrates’ court on 20 March. The case related to footage obtained […]
Victory for foxes as another hunt bites the dust
The Meynell and South Staffordshire Hunt has announced that it is folding, and its staff will be made redundant on 1 May. The welcome news shows that the hunting industry is facing an uphill battle to survive. Hunt saboteurs had already witnessed the hunt saying that it would disband on Friday 3 March. But the […]
WILTSHIRE: Protest at appointment of hunt supporting Rural Crime Team Officer
As has been widely reported (including by Protect the Wild), a peaceful protest was planned for today outside Wiltshire Police HQ in Devizes. Sabs and campaigners are furious that Wiltshire Police have recently announced Cheryl Knight as its new recruit to their Rural Crime team. Hunt saboteurs have highlighted Knight’s links to both the Beaufort […]
Essex Police serves hunt with Community Protection Warning
Anti-hunting campaigners and hunt saboteurs scored another victory on 3 March when the Essex with Farmers and Union Hunt was issued with a Community Protection Warning (CPW). Essex Police tweeted: “RET [Rural Engagement Team] have issued a Community Protection Warning to a hunt that operates in Essex. Following reports of trespassing and other issues affecting […]
Wiltshire Police employs hunter as new Rural Crime Team officer
Wiltshire Police’s Rural Crime Team has recently announced its new recruit, PC Cheryl Knight. But Knight has links to both the Beaufort Hunt and the Avon Vale Hunt. One of the Rural Crime Team’s main remits is to investigate and prosecute illegal hunting, and the police department is currently investigating one of the hunts that […]
Police chief commends hunt saboteurs, saying illegal hunting is ‘prolific’
The Times reported on 11 February that senior police officer Matt Longman has described illegal hunting as “prolific”. Longman is a commander of Plymouth Police and, more relevantly, National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for “Fox Hunting Crime”. The newspaper went on to report that Longman wants: “police forces to work with the “volunteers” who […]
One ‘kind’ message led a pub to take a stand against hunting
A Powys pub has chosen not to support hunting. The pub said the decision came after it had received a “kind and non-abusive” message. And it’s the latest in a string of decisions that increasingly isolate the hunting industry. The Raven Inn based in Welshpool, Powys, said on 19 December that it “will not be […]
Damning text messages incriminate prominent fox hunter Ollie Finnegan
On 6 December 2022, Ollie Finnegan pleaded guilty to illegally hunting with dogs after WhatsApp messages, found on his phone, incriminated him. Finnegan was the huntsman for the Quorn Hunt on 7 January 2022. Police seized his phone after receiving reports of the Quorn illegally hunting a fox that day. ITV’s Rupert Evelyn attended court. […]
Police investigation launched into footage of hunting hounds killing a fox
Police confirmed they are investigating footage published online that appears to show hounds killing a fox. The incident occurred at Charleton Horethorne, Somerset, during a meet of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. Police investigation On 26 November, hunt monitor group Wildlife Crime Action published a video showing hounds huddled together, ragging something on the […]
What is clean boot hunting?
What is clean boot hunting? When the New Forest Hounds announced its transformation from a foxhound to a bloodhound pack, South Hampshire Hunt Saboteurs welcomed the news. It told Protect the Wild at the time that the change was “a huge win”. That’s because Bloodhound packs follow the scent of a human volunteer, not wildlife, […]
Sabs film criminal terriermen digging fox out of badger sett
A video, exposing the Axe Vale Harriers, was filmed by Devon County Hunt Saboteurs and Mendip Hunt Saboteurs on 13 March 2024. It shows terriermen digging out a badger sett to get to a fox, who has hidden underground from the hunt.
Cautious optimism: What a new government could mean for wildlife
The Tories are out. Labour has won the election with a huge majority, taking almost 300 seats more than the Conservatives. What might this mean for wildlife? Protect the Wild outlines our hopes for the next government.
VOTE May 2: Elections for Police and Crime Commissioners
Elections for England and Wales’ Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) take place on 2 May. Whoever gets in could have a major impact on wildlife. Whether we vote for our preferred candidate or vote tactically, it is essential that we all get out to vote. While the turnout for the PCC election is not as low […]
Ten reasons why 2023 was a good year for wildlife
For those of us who love wildlife, it is easy to fall into despair when we read reports of foxes being killed and birds of prey being poisoned. Many of us will need a reminder that positive events happened in 2023! As the year comes to a close, we give ten reasons why this was […]
Sick gamekeeper filmed badger torture for social media
A Scottish gamekeeper set his dogs on foxes and badgers, filming the attacks to make money. Like other men before him, his desire to brag about his acts is what incriminated him. Ryan Martin, from Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire, was convicted on 5 December. He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to three dogs under his […]
The Animal Welfare Act 2006
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (which came in to force in April 2007) overhauled the legal protection of vertebrate animals. It applies to actions taken on the land and all inland waters and estuaries in England and Wales. The Act introduced the notion of species-specific legislation and combined over twenty […]
Join the protest against the appointment of Wiltshire Police’s new Rural Crime Team officer
Wiltshire Police recently announced its new recruit to the Rural Crime team, Cheryl Knight. She has connections with two notorious hunts, and has posted photos of herself beagling with another hunt. Hunt saboteurs and campaigners are gearing up to protest her appointment, and they want you to join them. You can read our detailed article […]
