Call for ‘truly independent inquiry’ into policing of hunting in Warwickshire

WARWICKSHIRE Police have insisted they are taking action against hunting where there are allegations of law breaking.

The force issued a statement just hours after Matt Western MP raised in Parliament his concerns about the policing of Warwickshire Hunt, the use of a secret protocol between hunters and the force and the need for transparency.

Yesterday (Monday) in the Commons, he said: “It's almost two years since Warwickshire Police issued a community protection notice (CPN) against Warwickshire Hunt. Eight months later it was mysteriously replaced by a secret protocol.

“The police and crime commissioner (PCC), who receives financial support from the Countryside Alliance [a claim the CA says is completely untrue], claims that he knew nothing of the protocol. The [former] chief constable refused to give me a copy and now she has resigned claiming retirement.

“Trust in the PCC and the leadership of Warwickshire Police has been seriously damaged.

“So will she [Jess Phillips, Parliamentary under-secretary at the Home Office ] meet with me to discuss a truly independent inquiry, as opposed to the sham one being undertaken by the PCC?”

Ms Phillips agreed to meet Warwick and Leamington’s Labour MP along with the policing minister.

Concern has been raised previously by Mr Western - as well as the Herald - about the secret protocol which has now been replaced with a public code of conduct.

However, the police have refused to make public the details of the protocol.

Instead, Conservative PCC Philip Seccombe has ordered a review into the policing of hunting in Warwickshire and the force’s response to anti-social behaviour, road safety and crime reporting in relation to hunts.

The review is being carried out by David Peet, who is said to be an experienced chief executive and organisational leader.

A few hours after Mr Western’s question in Parliament, Warwickshire Police issued a statement on its website in which deputy chief constable David Gardner said: “The recently released and publicly available code of behaviour for trail hunting sets out policing expectations and replaces the historical hunt protocol.

“Where enforcement of the law is required, we have criminal and civil measures at our disposal and will use them where required. Court proceedings are currently active which show this.

“Complaints relating to anti-social behaviour or criminality regarding hunting or use of highways will be passed on to the appropriate specialist team to investigate but in the first instance, anyone wishing to report an incident is asked to call 101 or visit www.warwickshire.police.uk/ro/report.

“We acknowledge the strength of feeling from all parties and commit to continue to update as the trail hunting season progresses.”

Hunt saboteurs have poured scorn on the review as well as the code of conduct.

West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs previously told the Herald: “This independent review is not asking the questions that need asking or the questions that members of the community are wanting answers to.”

Hunt saboteurs have called for the review to focus on why the CPN was dropped and who authorised it. They want the contents of the secret deal to be made public and have questioned why the protocol was not made legally binding.

They also point to PMr Seccombe’s membership of the pro-hunting Countryside Alliance as a potential conflict of interest.

His membership of the organisation has been included in the subjects the review will cover.

The review, which is due to report back in the autumn, will look at, among other things:

- The circumstances that led to the force issuing a CPN.

- Examining how the force considered the police and crime commissioner’s declared interest as a member of the Countryside Alliance in its decision-making process.

- What was the legal basis for exempting the settlement agreement from publication?

- Were procedures robust enough when dealing with reports of incidents related to fox hunting/road safety/ASB?

- How effectively and efficiently were the public and media informed about the process for reporting concerns about fox hunting?

- Did the force respond to enquiries and complaints in a timely manner, in a way that would have given the public confidence in their approach?

- How does the force intend to engage with local communities to restore trust and confidence on these issues?

The findings will be made public, Mr Seccombe has promised.

Meanwhile, the Countryside Alliance has been left fuming by Mr Western’s financial accusations and has challenged him to repeat the outside of Parliament so it can take legal action.

Mr Seccombe declares himself to be a member of the group, but there is no financial assistance, the group said.

A spokesperson for the Countryside Alliance said: “Matt Western’s claims are baseless and false. We regard his decision to make such a false claim under Parliamentary privilege to be an abuse of that privilege. We will formerly ask Mr Western to withdraw his comments and correct the record by means of a Point of Order. Failing that, we invite Mr Western to repeat his assertion outside the House of Commons so that we can commence necessary action.”