20th May 2008

First huntsman gets prosecuted

A HUNTSMAN has become the first in the country to be prosecuted by police for allegedly killing a fox.

Julian Barnfield, 44, of the Heythrop Hunt, which covers Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, will appear in court this summer facing three charges of hunting a wild mammal with dogs.

Conservative leader David Cameron is known to have supporters in Heythrop, close to his Witney constituency, and has ridden with the hunt in the past

19th May 2008

Gunman may have shot 50 birds of prey

PROTECTED birds of prey are being found with shotgun wounds in the Blandford area, according to a rescue centre.

Jon Hall, who runs Wessex Bird of Prey Rescue in Canford Heath, said nine birds, all with pellet wounds from a 16-gauge shotgun, had been brought in from the same area over the last three months.

He believes the four buzzards, two sparrowhawks, two kestrels and a tawny owl were deliberately blasted - and many more could have been shot

19th May 2008

Men fined for hunting a wild mammal and causing a dog to enter a badger sett

A man from Penrith and another from Skipton have been fined £200 each after hunting a fox with a dog and causing a dog to enter a badger sett.

John Joseph Bowman, 19, of Lakeland View, Greengill, Penrith and William Smith, 27, of Keighley Road, Skipton today (Monday 19 May 2008) pleaded guilty to both charges before Carlisle magistrates.

The court heard how the two men were arrested by police officers from Cumbria Constabulary on land near Towcett in Cumbria in March 2007 after they were disturbed by a member of the public whilst digging in to a badger sett.

Also with them were three terrier-type dogs and a lurcher-type dog, all of which were in a muddy condition. Officers contacted wildlife crime experts in the RSPCA's special operations unit shortly after apprehending the men

19th May 2008

David Cameron's hunt first on fox killing charge

On Tory chief's turf.. huntsman faces rap in key case

The professional employed by David Cameron's fox hunt yesterday became the first person to be charged by police with illegally killing foxes under Labour's 2004 law.

The move will shock hunting associations which have flouted the Hunting Act since it came into force in 2005.

Heythrop Hunt's professional huntsman Julian Barnfield, 44, faces three charges.

Tory leader Mr Cameron has ridden with the hunt, in the heartland of his constituency, at least six times and has in the past described Labour's ban as "bonkers".

18th May 2008

MP Soames banned from driving

TORY MP Nicholas Soames was slapped with a two month ban after admitting driving his quad bike with no insurance.

The ex Crawley MP, 60, a grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, was filmed committing the offence by hunt saboteurs as he followed a New Year's Day hunt in Slaugham.

Footage showed a group of people, including three children aged three, five and seven and a pregnant woman, being carried unrestrained and without helmets on the Honda quad bike and trailer

Click here to see court footage

14th May 2008

Dead badgers dumped at roadside

A police investigation is continuing in the Borders after two dead badgers were found dumped on a roadside. The incident took place earlier this month near Duns and it was later found that both animals had been snared.

It has prompted claims from animal rights groups that people snaring badgers were trying to pass off their victims as "road kill".

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police confirmed inquiries were ongoing into the discovery. Wildlife group Scottish Badgers has voiced concerns about the incident which took place on 2 May. It said it had suspected for some time that badgers being killed illegally were being "dumped amongst the carnage of road kill".

14th May 2008

Man bailed in badger-digging investigation

A LANCASHIRE man has been arrested and bailed after allegedly being caught illegally digging a badger sett near Whitchurch.

A joint operation by the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit and Lancashire Police led to the discovery of the man appearing to be badger digging on Sunday.

The man, who was discovered with four terrier dogs, fled the scene and was arrested by the police in Lancashire. He has subsequently been interviewed and bailed pending further enquiries

14th May 2008

Ferry in court on assault charge

Pro-hunting campaigner Otis Ferry has appeared in court charged with attacking a hunt monitor and robbing another at a countryside hunt. The 25-year-old son of Rock Star Bryan Ferry did not enter pleas at Gloucester Crown Court.

Mr Ferry, of Eaton Mascot, Shropshire, spoke only to confirm his full name as Charles Frederick Otis Ferry. A plea hearing was set for 25 July and a trial provisionally fixed for 15 September.

Mr Ferry is charged with robbing Susan Grima of a Samsung video camera, value unknown, on 21 November last year at Lower Swell, Cheltenham. And is charged with assaulting Helen Ghalmi on the same date.

The incidents are alleged to have taken place while Mr Ferry was with the Heythrop Hunt, which covers Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. He has been released on unconditional bail.