Anti-social behaviour and the Law
Antisocial Behaviour and the Law Antisocial behaviour is legally defined as “behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person’. When most people think about ‘antisocial behaviour’ they probably think about being disturbed by rowdy yobs gathering in gangs […]
Harrasment and the Law
Harassment and the Law Sabs, monitors, and other activists/campaigners are often subjected to harassment and intimidation, especially when out in the field (an example is the ‘nazi salute’ in our featured image given by repellent Wynnstay Hunt supporter Ian Jones to Cheshire Monitors). In some cases the harassment may lead to an assault taking place ( […]
Illegally set spring trap causes death of Barn Owl
North Yorkshire Police have reported on the sentencing of a man after the death of a Barn Owl trapped illegally on an allotment plot in Hunmanby, near Scarborough. On 8 April 2023, a dog walker discovered a badly-injured adult Barn Owl caught in a spring-operated trap in the allotments at Sands Lane, Hunmanby. Despite the […]
Gamekeeper Francis Addison convicted in dead goshawks investigation
On the 29th of June, Francis Addison (72) a part-time gamekeeper of South Park, Weeting, pleaded guilty at Norwich Magistrates’ court to NINETEEN charges in connection with a multi-agency raptor persecution investigation led by Suffolk Police, including the possession of five shot Goshawks. As Protect the Wild reported back in January this year, the bodies […]
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. […]
Public Spaces Protection Orders
Public Space Protection Orders Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) were introduced under ‘Community Protection’, Chapter 2, Section 4 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. They give local authorities power to “ban specific acts in a designated geographical area in England and Wales”, and replace the earlier designated public place orders, gating orders […]
Hedgerows and the Law
Hedgerows and the Law In May 2024 Defra announced The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 which put the baseline for hedgerow management practices into law, providing a consistent approach for their protection across the country. This includes: a 2-metre buffer strip, measured from the centre of a hedgerow, where a green cover must be […]
Dogs and the Law
Dogs and the Law We love dogs here at Protect the Wild, but through no fault of their own they are widely used by hunters, shooters, and wildlife criminals like badger baiters and hare coursers to fight, chase, retrieve, or kill wild animals. That means that we may well come across dogs (or packs of […]
Mobile Phones and the Law
Mobile phones and the Law Mobile phones are ubiquitous and incredibly useful for RECORDING and REPORTING wildlife crime scenes for example. The law is very clear about using phones while driving a quad bike, for example, but phones are regularly seen at hunts – used both by sabs and monitors to photograph or record the […]
General Licences and the Law
General Licences and the Law Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (the primary legislation which protects animals, plants and habitats in the UK) all wild birds are protected. However there are a number of specific exemptions that allow some species of birds to be killed under what are known as Individual (or Specific) Licences (which […]
‘Slow strangulation’ and ‘organ damage’: SnareWatch report shows the gruesome reality of snare use
Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind has released its 2022 SnareWatch Report, and it’s distressing reading. Snares are primarily used on foxes on bird-shooting estates in an attempt to stop the mammals from predating on birds such as pheasants and grouse. They are wire nooses that trap and hold the animal until someone comes and shoots […]
Court bans hare coursing offenders from keeping dogs for 11 years
Aberdeen Sheriff Court has banned two men from keeping dogs for a total of 11 years. It comes after video footage caught the pair hare coursing. According to AberdeenLive, a witness filmed Steven McDonald and Richard Hanratty using lurchers to course a hare in Mosstown Field, Udny, in August 2019. The witness also saw two […]
Hunt Havoc and Violence
Hunt Havoc and Violence It isn’t just wildlife and hounds who are victims of hunting. Monitoring hunts can be a dangerous task, and people who oppose them are often risking their lives. Hunt saboteurs are prime targets for violent hunt thugs because it is their footage, as well as their eye witness accounts, which expose […]
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 […]
Lead Shot and the Law
Lead Shot and the Law Lead is a serious pollutant. Due to its high toxicity, most releases of lead into the environment are strictly regulated in Europe (e.g. see AMEC 2012). In the UK, lead was banned from water pipes decades ago, from paint in 1992, and finally fully banned from vehicle fuel in 2000. […]
Rabbits and the Law
Rabbits and the Law Rabbits are not native to the UK (they are from the Iberian Peninsula originally) and despite being here for around two thousand years, they are considered ‘pests’ in law. Since the Pest Act 1954 (which was put forward in response to huge agricultural losses) land occupiers – unless they can establish […]
Proper Ban on Hunting Petition
Sign the petition for a proper ban on all hunting with hounds 118408 people have taken action so far. Help us reach 150000 First name Last name Email Phone Subject Letter Dear Secretary of State (Steve Reed MP) It has been two decades since the Hunting Act 2004 was passed in England and Wales, which […]
Arrests and the Law
Arrests and the Law The police have powers to arrest an individual anywhere and at any time, including on the street, at home or at work – but to arrest someone the police need reasonable grounds to suspect they are involved in a crime for which arrest is necessary. Arrest is usually the first stage […]
A second illegal snare has been found wrapped around a badger near Colchester
A dead badger was found, “almost garrotted”, laying in a ditch near Colchester. It was a grim sight found by members of a local badger group. But it wasn’t the time first time that the group had visited the area due to reports of an illegally snared badger. North East Essex Badger Group said it […]
Foxes and the Law
Foxes and the Law The Red Fox (the only fox species found in the UK) has the largest natural distribution of any land mammal except human beings. The UK population is around 375,000, and perhaps one-third are resident in our towns and cities. Data suggests that up to 50 per cent of the UK’s fox […]
Spring Traps and the Law
Spring traps and the Law Spring traps are most commonly used to kill (or ‘control’) mammals on shooting estates by breaking their backs. They consist of a trigger plate and some form of smooth jaws which snap across the animal making (in theory) a clean and instant kill. The Fenn Traps illustrated here are examples […]
Snared badger disappears leaving only pool of blood
Essex Police are investigating after blood was found by a snare. A member of the public reported finding a badger trapped in the device. But by the time police arrived, the creature had gone. As local paper the Daily Gazette reported, the incident occurred on 25 February and involved a dog-walker finding a badger struggling […]
Quad Bikes and the Law
Quad Bikes and the Law Terriermen and hunt supporters often drive quad bikes (four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles). They routinely break the law while doing so, and attempt to confuse monitors and sabs by claiming they are driving ‘agricultural ATVs’ which don’t need MOTs. This page is designed to help clarify the issues All quads used on […]
Firearms and the Law
Firearms and the Law Firearms (in general terms a rifle, pistol or any other kind of smaller, handheld gun) are regulated in the UK by the Firearms Act 1968. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 inserted section 55A in to the 1968 Act, allowing the Secretary of State to issue guidance to chief officers of […]
Cage Traps and the Law
Cage Traps and the Law Cage traps are widely used by gamekeepers on shooting estates to trap and hold (then later kill by shooting or clubbing) corvids (crows, including magpies). As distressing as finding wild birds trapped in a cage trap may be, their use is (currently) legal – but only under strict conditions and […]
Snares and the Law
Snares and the Law Snares are banned in most European countries, but free-running snares are still legal in England and Northern Ireland. Wales passed a ban in summer 2023, and in March 2024 the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill was passed into law in March 2024 making it “an offence to use a snare to trap […]
Stark images of a snared badger highlight the need to ban snares now
A badger was found caught in a snare on the outskirts of a town in Northamptonshire. And images of the creature reveal just how cruel the devices are. On 3 February, Northamptonshire Badger Group said on Facebook that it had spent five hours searching for an injured badger “through fields, brambles and thick hedges”. The […]
Deer and the Law
Deer and the Law There are six species of deer in the UK: native Red and Roe Deer; Fallow Deer (first brought to Britain during the Roman period but now considered to be naturalised), and invasive, non-native Sika, (Reeves’) Muntjac and Water Deer. Deer populations are probably higher now than ever before. They are an […]
Birds of prey and the Law
Birds of Prey and the Law Birds of prey are widely persecuted on shooting estates (and on some farms) but all species are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and most (excluding Common Buzzard, Kestrel, and Sparrowhawk) also come under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This means that NO […]
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. […]
Shooting near roads and rights of way and the Law
Shooting near roads and ways It can be intimidating to come across shooting activities near a road, footpath, or right of way but shooting is currently a legal activity and can legally take place in locations where the public have a right of access. There are laws governing shooting though, and it is a shoot […]
Poisoning/poisoned baits and the Law
Poisoning/poisoned baits and the Law The use of poison and poisoned baits to poison wild birds is illegal but is still taking place across the whole of the UK, particularly on some shooting estates and farms. Poisoning is silent compared with shooting and also less labour-intensive – no need to wait around for a bird […]
Badgers and the Law
Badgers and the Law Badgers are protected in law by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (passed to consolidate law previously contained in the Badgers Act 1973, the Badgers Act 1991 and the Badgers (Further Protection) Act 1991) and so are their setts (setts include entrances, tunnels, and underground chambers). Licences may be granted by […]
Badger baiting: yet another arrest made
It’s thought that more than 10,000 badgers are murdered by baiters every year in the UK. And on 25 January yet another man was arrested on suspicion of badger baiting in North Yorkshire. Yorkshire Live reported that the man, in his twenties, was found with three injured dogs. The news website reported: “Police found a […]
Birds and the Law
Birds and the Law Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (the primary legislation which protects animals, plants and habitats in the UK) all wild birds are protected. A wild bird is defined as any bird of a species which is ordinarily resident in or is a visitor to the UK in a wild state (so, […]
Bats and the Law
Bats and the Law All bat species and their roosts are legally protected in the UK, by both domestic and international legislation including the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) – though as of 2023 the government is discussing removing the specific protection of all wildlife (including bats) currently provided by the EU’s Habitats […]
Nesting Birds, Nests and the Law
Nesting birds, Nests and the Law Under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (WCA, the primary legislation which protects animals, plants and habitats in the UK) it is: ‘an offence intentionally to kill, injure or take any wild bird, or take or destroy their eggs or nest, or damage a nest, while that nest is […]
Cage Traps
Live-catch cages / Crow Traps Crow Traps Crow Traps are widely used by gamekeepers on shooting estates to trap and hold (then later kill by shooting or clubbing) corvids (crows, including magpies). As distressing as finding wild birds trapped in a cage trap may be, their use is legal – but only under strict conditions […]
Sheep drowns as Grafton Hunt hounds run rampage
Police are investigating the Grafton Hunt after a sheep drowned when hounds ran out of control in a farmer’s field. The ewes, who were all pregnant, scattered, breaking out of their field, and some fled into a river to escape. The incident took place on 14 January. Grafton Hunt Watch, which monitors the hunt, said: […]
Yet more dead buzzards and yet another gamekeeper in court
Dorset gamekeeper Paul Scott Allen appeared before Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 4 where he pleaded guilty to seven offences including possession of a live or dead bird (or parts thereof) and misuse of a regulated poison. Allen appeared in court after an extensive investigation by police which began in November 2020 when a […]
Ten reasons why 2022 was a remarkable and historic year
As we reach the end of 2022, it’s a good time to look back on how far the movement against hunting has come in just 12 months. This list looks at some of the most high profile moments from the past year and is ordered chronologically. Many more moments that are no less important have […]
Two brothers were jailed after using a spade to ‘bludgeon’ a badger
A magistrate has handed two brothers jail terms for badger baiting. Both denied their criminal activities even as they were convicted. But details of the incident revealed a scene of abject horror. The trial, brought by the RSPCA, was originally held on 16 November. Evidence presented that day revealed that brothers Dale and Michael Rickerby […]
Hare hunting: what is it and how is it stopped?
Hare hunting is less common and less well-known than fox hunting. However, it still occurs across the UK every week. Hare hunting is distinct from coursing in its use of scent hounds such as beagles and harriers; coursing uses sight hounds such as greyhounds and salukis. So what is hare hunting and how is it […]
What is a bagged fox?
On 26 August 2022, ITV News published footage showing what appeared to be a ‘bagged fox’. The video showed a group of terriermen associated with the Seavington Hunt pulling a bag from a quad bike before dumping whatever is inside onto the ground. Huntsman Benedict Hood is then seen encouraging a nearby pack of foxhounds, […]
RSPB Investigations Officer: Reflections on a poisoning
RSPB Investigations Officer: Reflections on a poisoning “Another issue that keeps rearing its head is the lack of any consequences for Stroud’s employers.” On 5 October 2022 gamekeeper Matthew Stroud was convicted of a long list of offences at Norwich Magistrates Court including killing protected birds – yet he escaped a prison sentence. Now Tom […]
Red Kite
Facts about the Red Kite Scientific name: Milvus milvus Bird Family: Kites, hawks and eagles UK conservation status: Green At a glance Compared with Common Buzzard, when soaring has a forked (rather than rounded) tail and flat (not raised) wings. Once confined to Wales, reintroductions of this beautiful bird of prey have seen numbers rebound […]
News
NEWS Breaking news on our work and issues affecting wildlife. We update our site regularly so check back here or subscribe to our newsletter. You can also follow us on our socials to keep up to date. Latest newsFoxShootingRaptor PersecutionBadgerDeerInvestigateCampaign Latest news Cat found nearly ‘cut in two’ after a snare wrapped around his stomach […]
‘Balaclava wearing thugs”: Wiltshire PCC Philip Wilkinson doesn’t like sabs.
When Wiltshire councillor Jonathon Seed was disbarred from standing for the role of Swindon and Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), animal rights campaigners celebrated. An ex-army major and ex-fox hunt master, Seed has a long history of fox hunting, and was master of two local hunts for 20 years. But Swindon and Wiltshire’s PCC […]
