New League Against Cruel Sports figures reveal Warwickshire as one of the worst counties for fox hunting and nuisance caused by hunt
New figures released on Boxing Day reveal that Warwickshire is one of the worst counties for fox hunting and nuisance caused by hunts.
The statistics from the League Against Cruel Sports, show Warwickshire is in the top five of the worst affected counties in Britain.
There were 21 reports of either suspected illegal hunting or hunt havoc in Warwickshire in just five-and-a-half weeks between 1st November and 7th December.
This latest report comes after last week’s Herald front page which covered the issuing of a Community Protection Notice by Warwickshire Police against the hunt after it caused chaos on roads near Stratford.
Video footage from a hunt on 23rd November showed drivers having to swerve to avoid the dogs as they ran around on the A422 during a hunt. Under the CPN, the hunt will have to tell police exactly what time and where it will be crossing roads. This, say anti-hunt campaigners, would make illegal hunting of foxes impossible.
Responding to the Herald story, a Warwickshire Hunt spokesperson branded the police action “hasty and extreme” and said that there was “no justification for issuing the notice”.
The hunt added that it would be appealing against the order. It has previously stated that any foxes killed during its hunts were “accidental”.
Meanwhile the league’s report figures break down into ten reports of suspected illegal hunting despite the fox hunting ban and 11 incidences of hunt havoc involving fox hunts marauding on roads, as well as intimidating people and causing the public mental distress.
The worst offenders in the county were the Warwickshire Hunt who were featured in six incidents of suspected illegal hunting. They were seen visibly pursuing two foxes and were involved in one reported kill.
The Warwickshire Hunt was involved in 13 incidents of hunt havoc (some incidents being in other counties) including seven incidents on roads. Earlier this month Warwickshire Police issued the hunt with a Community Protection Notice after causing danger on the roads in South Warwickshire.
The counties with the highest combined totals of suspected illegal hunting and hunt havoc were Dorset (39) Yorkshire (30), Somerset (22) Warwickshire (21) and Gloucestershire (19) Nationally, the reports related to 71 different foxhound packs in 37 counties
Polling commissioned by the league and conducted independently by Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus across Britain showed more than three quarters of the electorate in Warwickshire (78 per cent) were in favour of strengthening hunting laws and over half (55 per cent) more likely to vote for a candidate who supported strengthening.
Emma added: “The bloodthirsty and shameful ‘sport’ of fox hunting is massively unpopular with the Warwickshire electorate who want to see hunting laws strengthened, and it’s time government came on board with public opinion.”
