30th December 2007

AB FAB JENNIFER JOINS 'FOX HUNT'

Ab Fab star Jennifer Saunders has joined a hunt accused of illegally chasing foxes.

She was snapped riding with the Mid-Devon Hunt just eight days after cops launched a cruelty probe. Police acted when the hunt was reported to have pursued a fox with 20 hounds - TEN times the legal limit

27th December 2007

Hunter saves horse

A YOUNG woman rider had a miraculous escape from serious injury after she jumped in a reservoir to save her horse after it had plunged in during a Boxing Day hunt.

The horse bolted as they rode through Lead Mines Clough, next to the Anglezarke reservoir at Rivington, Bolton, with the Holcombe Hunt. It then crashed into trees throwing the rider off before skidding on ice and plunging into the water.

The woman immediately jumped in after it in a desperate bid to pull it to safety

27th December 2007

Three escape injury after horse wrecks car at hunt meet

Three people were lucky to escape unharmed after a horse kicked it's hooves through a car windscreen at the annual Boxing Day drag hunt meet in Battle.

The animal was believed to have been 'nudged' by a horse and cart and jumped up onto the silver Renault, smashing the windscreen before rolling over the roof of the vehicle in front of horrified onlookers.

The horse rider and the two people in the car were not injured but an ambulance was called and all were treated at the scene for shock.

It's believed the horse sustained a cut leg in the incident

26th December 2007

New legal twist over hunting as Boxing Day meets are out in force

The Crown Prosecution Service is seeking to appeal against the decision to clear the first huntsman found guilty of illegal hunting with dogs. The news emerged as hunts all over the country gathered for traditional Boxing Day meets, the most important date in the hunting calendar.

About 300,000 people were believed to have turned out at 314 hunts to show that the sport is as popular as ever despite the ban on the blood sport introduced nearly three years ago. The Masters of Foxhounds Association believes hunting is enjoying a revival as a direct result of the ban

21st December 2007

Fox shock for golfer

A local golfer who was enjoying an afternoon round of his favourite pastime was alarmed to have his game interrupted by a fox being chased by hounds.

Peter Scrivens, of East Williamston, was playing on the Treyfloyne Golf Course last week when at around 1.30 pm on a quiet Wednesday afternoon he was amazed to see a fox being pursued across the green by the dogs

20th December 2007

Anger over stag hunt 'ban'

The Government has been accused of destroying a 150-year-old tradition after effectively banning the country's only stag hunt.

Cracking the green whip, Environment Minister John Gormley banned the Ward Union Hunt in Co Meath from allowing hounds to actually pursue a tame stag though the countryside this Christmas.

The controversial decision -- banning them for the first time in their 150 years -- means the hunt will not be able to take to the fields after Christmas day for their traditional hunt in the normal manner. The Ward Union Hunt has warned it will examine the decision and then consider whether to take legal action. It is the only one in the country involved in carted stag hunting, where a tame farmed stag is released to be chased by hounds and hunters.

Mr Gormley announced yesterday that he had decided to renew the hunt's licence from yesterday, but only on condition that the stag be recaptured after laying a scent trail

Hunt terrier-man fined £80.00 fixed penalty for abusive behaviour

Jeremy Charman, a hunt terrier-man of the notorious Crawley and Horsham hunt based in Sussex has been fined £80.00 by police after throwing a dead rabbit at hunt monitors in November 07.

Hunt monitors attending the hunt near Shipley, W. Sussex were followed by "hunt stewards" to a veterinary practice when they found a rabbit suffering from myxamatosis.  In an attempt to mock this humanitarian assistance for a sick animal, Charman was later videoed throwing a dead rabbit at monitors, shouting :"Try to revive this fucker."

In Nov. 06 Charman was videoed digging into a badger sett at the Heaselands estate, W. Sussex after the Crawley and Horsham hunt had chased a fox to ground.  As a result, Sussex police have issued new guidelines to police and are determined not to allow hunts to dig out badger setts in future

Pair convicted over badger

Wildlife crime investigators have welcomed the conviction of two Hawick members of a badger-baiting gang.

Sean Dodds, 17, and Kyle Lawrie, 19, are the first in Scotland to be charged with offences against badgers.

They pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to digging for a badger at Stobbs Camp Wood, near Acreknowe Reservoir. Sentence was deferred until January 17

11th December 2007

School carer spared jail for cruelty

Another link between animal and human abuse!
Anthony Robson was Master of the Dunston Harriers Hunt between 1998 and 2001

The former head of care at a Norfolk boarding school was spared jail today after he was convicted of child cruelty offences.

Anthony Robson, 63, stood by and watched as pupils at Banham Marshalls College, formerly the Old Rectory, fought each other and forced one child to eat his own vomit, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Robson, known to pupils at Tony Thomas, was last month convicted of three counts of child cruelty and appeared before the court today for sentence.

His brother George Robson, 66, the school's owner and head, was convicted of five counts of child cruelty two years ago

8th December 2007

Legal reminders issued to region's fox control groups

THE start of the hunting season has prompted a call from Government officials to bear in mind the law.

The Forestry Commission (FC) Wales has sent letters to fox control groups in North Wales to remind them of legislation governing their activities. The letter, pointing out the restrictions brought in under the Hunting Act in February 2005, was sent to fox control societies in the region who want to hunt with dogs in Assembly woodlands

3rd December 2007

Villagers bring down Ivy owner's shoot

As the celebrities' favourite restaurateur, Richard Caring is no doubt used to dealing with difficult customers. The charm that has made him one of Britain's richest businessmen has, however, failed to win over the neighbours of his country estate after a deluge of complaints over his pheasant shoot.

Villagers say luxury four-wheel-drive vehicles have churned ruts in local footpaths and bridleways while the roofs of some homes have been damaged by dead birds dropping from the sky. They have also objected to the huge number of pheasants raised by Mr Caring, the clothing and restaurants tycoon, saying they have escaped in to gardens and farmland, damaging plants and eating crops

1st December 2007

Judge says law on hunting not easy to follow

A judge yesterday criticised the Hunting Act as he allowed the appeal of the first fox hunter convicted of breaching the controversial law. Judge Graham Cottle said the law that forbids the hunting of animals with dogs was "far from simple to interpret or apply".

Pro-hunting campaigners said the decision demonstrated that the law was a bad one and ought to be scrapped. It came as a blow to animal rights activists who have had some success in bringing prosecutions under the act

Judge Cottle who heard this case has in the past allowed the grounds of his residence to be used by the South Devon Hunt for a lawn meet