Call of unity against repeal of hunt ban in West
Hunts in the region suffer the most attention from anti-hunt monitors in the country and their experience means hunt supporters should unite to continue to press for a repeal.
That was the stern message last night from hunting leaders, as the battle lines were being drawn once again for another testing season in the region.
In a call for unity from Countryside Alliance chief executive Simon Hart, the pro-hunt leader, admitted supporters in the north and the east of England were questioning the need for a repeal of the controversial hunt ban – because few of them ever saw an anti-hunt monitor.
But, in a candid assessment of the situation, Mr Hart said hunts across the West were "suffering" from being constantly monitored and their colleagues in the north should remember that.
Anti-hunt groups once again launched a new recruitment drive for hunt monitors amid claims hunts are continuing to routinely break the ban four years on from its inception.
And they are certain to gain much of their new trainee monitors from here in the West, where the divisive issue has never stopped being controversial in the countryside.
Writing in The Field magazine, Mr Hart said the experience of hunters in the West was unlike those from any other part of Britain under the hunt ban. He said: "Few packs in the North ever see an anti-hunting activist and monitoring of hunting activity is carried out, as it should be, by local police forces.
"Allegations of illegal hunting are rare and prosecutions unheard of, which has led some to question whether pursuing the repeal of the Hunting Act is a sensible strategy."
Mr Hart cited the experiences of two West huntsmen, Julian Barnfield from the Cotswold-based Heythrop Hunt, who is currently facing two separate court cases over illegal hunting, and Charlie Watts, from the Cattistock, in Dorset, who is monitored by anti-hunt activists every week.
He said: "They have the dubious honour of hunting the two most scrutinised packs in Britain. They know exactly why repeal is an urgent necessity, not just a nice idea. Each sees more anti-hunting activists in a month than every pack in the North sees in a season. Both have been questioned by the police over allegations made by anti-hunt activists."
Talking about his recent prosecutions, which are awaiting the outcome of the High Court interpretation of the Hunting Act in the wake of the Tony Wright case on Exmoor, Mr Barnfield described the anti-hunt monitoring of his pack as 'vindictive scrutiny'.
He said: "I don't care what you are doing – driving a car, running a restaurant – that level of vindictive scrutiny is bound to lead to some sort of allegation, and it could happen to anyone.
"We get targeted because we are a high-profile hunt with activists living in our country. Charlie has antis in his patch and on Exmoor they have full-time League Against Cruel Sports employees. Anyone could end up in the same boat, and if it's you I promise you don't question whether or not we need to get rid of this stupid law."
Earlier this year, the Heythrop hunt was the subject of a BBC documentary which followed a couple of hunt monitors as they were blocked in and abused by hunt supporters, and witnessed a fox being killed – allegedly by the Heythrop's hounds.
The League Against Cruel Sports is once again appealing for help to monitor even more hunts. A spokesman said: "Of course, we are hoping that hunters will obey the law, but if they do not, it is important that the police investigate them and that they end up being prosecuted in the courts. In particular, it is important to understand the difference between a proper 'drag hunt', and the illegal hunting of wild mammals."
"The League receives many allegations of illegal hunting when hunts claim to undertake legal activities but in reality are disguising what we suspect are illegal activities."
9 Comments
by giles bradshaw, Rose Ash
Thursday, October 30 2008, 10:02PM
“I will be up early on Saturday morning out breaking the Hunting Act.
What am I meant to do? Call the police?”
by Charles Henry, Somerset
Thursday, October 30 2008, 8:11PM
“Most are more concerned that their cats and dogs don't get mange from the urban foxes. (It's rife again and spreading), or Mycobacterium bovis (bTB) from Badgers Simon.. I think you will find you are 'whistling in the wind now'.”
by Simon Hacker, Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire
Thursday, October 30 2008, 9:43AM
“I love this logic: more people are waking up to the sly, underhand, "accidental" killing still being illegally perpetrated by a bunch of arrogant losers who seem to have resources sufficent to make them immune to any credit crunch, so the democratically passed law of the land definitely must be most urgently repealed... There are also plenty of people who keep their eyes peeled for potential shoplifters, litter louts and wife-beaters. Should we perhaps rescind the laws that sanction public disgust for such acts and impinge upon these criminals' 'liberty' too? Again, a great pity that the WDP runs a large tract of a press release and doesn't challenge this assertion from the CA with at least a little counterbalance. Thankfully ordinary people will see through the bluster - including those who might understandably feel inclined now to vote Conservative. The real reason for this new essay from Hart is that the ground is slipping away from under their feet. It's not the Act that isn't working, it's ENFORCEMENT of it. But you don't have to be Otis Ferry to see that slowly but surely that's changing. The real heroes of the countryside are the people brave enough to stand up against these bullies. Pity the Western Daily Press doesn't come out to see what sort of behaviour they are subjected to should they dare witness the hunts' interpretation of the law.”
by Simon Hacker, Gloucestershire
Thursday, October 30 2008, 9:19AM
“I love this logic: more people are waking up to the sly, underhand, "accidental" killing still being illegally perpetrated by a bunch of arrogant losers who seem to have resources sufficent to make them immune to any credit crunch, so the democratically passed law of the land definitely must be most urgently repealed... There are also plenty of people who keep their eyes peeled for potential shoplifters, litter louts and wife-beaters. Should we perhaps rescind the laws that sanction public disgust for such acts and impinge upon these criminals' 'liberty' too? Again, a great pity that the WDP runs a large tract of a press release and doesn't challenge this assertion from the CA with at least a little counterbalance. Thankfully ordinary people will see through the bluster - including those who might understandably feel inclined now to vote Conservative. The real reason for this new essay from Hart is that the ground is slipping away from under their feet. It's not the Act that isn't working, it's ENFORCEMENT of it. But you don't have to be Otis Ferry to see that slowly but surely that's changing. The real heroes of the countryside are the people brave enough to stand up against these bullies. Pity the Western Daily Press doesn't come out to see what sort of behaviour they are subjected to should they dare witness the hunts' interpretation of the law.”
by Charles Henry, Somerset
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 8:47AM
“Farmers have been taking care of the countryside for generations. . Hill farmers and all those running sheep have obviously been more concerned with maintaining the hunt and the hunting activities than some others. To try and suggest all those involved don't care about the countryside demonstrates exactly how this Labour government and some supporters have little understanding of any rural affairs and are prepared to disregard the well being of agriculture and do anything that will 'garnish' its vote in urban Britain. . The fact that it is now taking action from 'Europe' to get anything done about the bTB crisis in the National Cattle Herd, and all the implications, demonstrates clearly that this government is not fit for the purpose in my view.”
by Graham Forsyth, Somerset
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 10:51PM
“Its all out in the open and political now.
So if you like hunting and dont care about nature then vote Tory.
Well I hear you say that if you dont like hunting but like all the other Tory policies, then sorry your party has been hijacked by Simon Hart and the Countryside Alliance.”
by Richard Scammell, Somerset
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 1:00PM
“It is a shame the so-called 'hunt monitors' have nothing better to do, I suppose with rising unemployment we can expect their ranks to swell. I do not have any connection whatsoever with hunting and am not that enamoured with the country way of life. I cannot ride a horse and don't want to. I consider them smelly and a major hazard on on the public highway in urban areas but I am not inclined to interfere for the sake of PC with traditional countyside ways of life. The law is an ass. Scrap it.”
by Simon Guerrero, Wiltshire
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 12:52PM
“Re: Charles Henry's comments - how ridiculous! In what way are hunt monitors "sinister" or "subversive"? The real issue here is that the hunting fraternity cannot be trusted not to pursue their sick animal abuse, despite the fact that they are acting illegally. And as for "pressing needs" - is it a pressing need for a bunch of grown men and women (who should know better) to pursue a small animal and encourage a group of dogs to tear it apart? Charles, you are pathetic.”
by Charles Henry, Somerset
Monday, October 27 2008, 7:45PM
“As unemployment continues to rise and people's priorities become more focused and reflect our pressing needs more correctly; these sinister hunt 'monitors' will be finding it increasingly difficult to justify their subversive activities against people who have been so unjustly criminalised by this failed government. . They will find increasingly they will just not be tolerated.”