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Concern after rabbits killed on field owned by Binton Social Club




CONCERN has been raised about the hunters ‘lamping’ for rabbits on private land.

It’s 11.30pm on a Tuesday night and the peace and quiet of the countryside is broken by air rifles firing.

The guns are being directed at rabbits in a hunting activity known as lamping.

A private field owned by Binton Social Club has now been targeted for a third time in a year as people turn up to hunt rabbits at night, catching them in the glare of powerful lamps mounted on vehicles and killing them.

Aside of the late-night disturbance and the activity itself, the club said the field has been left churned up by tyre tracks, leaving the site unusable for public events – the social club’s had to cancel this year’s bonfire party because of the uneven surface.

Last year more than 750 people attended.

“The tyre damage makes the field look like a racetrack,” said Scott Askew, a volunteer trustee at the club. “We had a barrier across the gate of the field but two vehicles turned up last Tuesday, 14th November.

“One was a black BMW which then broke the barrier and blocked access to the field from the road once a second vehicle – a Land Rover – had entered with powerful lamps which they turned on and the occupants started picking off the rabbits with air rifles. They took the dead animals away.

“A member of staff did approach the drivers, but I don’t want staff doing that because we must protect their safety.

“I don’t think there’s a pest element with the rabbits. It’s nice to have them in the field and the children who come here love seeing them. What these people are doing is poaching.”

Scott said he has reported the incident to Warwickshire Police and also contacted the office of Stratford MP, Nadhim Zahawi, which also raised the issue with the force.

Hunting rabbits via lamping is legal if the person has permission of the landowner – it can often be used by farmers. In circumstances when lampers are trespassing, it is recommended that the incident is reported to police.

Warwickshire Police was contacted for comment.



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