30th December 2008

Nine accused of hare coursing

Nine people have been charged with hare coursing following a police operation on Saturday.

A member of the public alerted police to suspicious activity in fields around Gedney where the men, from Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, were arrested.

Spalding Police Inspector Paul Timmins said: "This sends out a clear message to hare coursers that we will not accept it at all."

29th December 2008

Beaufort Hunt stalwart is killed in freak accident

The hunting community is in mourning after a much-loved member of the Duke of Beaufort Hunt was killed when he was thrown from his horse and broke his neck.

Farmer David Hall, 73, came off his horse in what has been described as a "freak accident" at Westonbirt, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire around 1pm on December 27.

Immediately after the tragedy the hunt was called off and the hounds were returned to the kennels as a mark of respect for Mr Hall, who was enjoying his 65th season with the famous Duke of Beaufort Hunt

27th December 2008

With Britain fighting recession, Cameron decides his policy priority is fox hunting

Hunters gather for a meet yesterday - as David Cameron plans to make legalising the bloodsport his goal for 2009. The pro-hunting Tory leader has set up a party committee to campaign to overturn the current ban

And instead of tough anti-hunting legislation, huntsmen would be governed by a weaker tribunal to decide whether they had breached trespassing and anti-nuisance laws. It would fine or ban huntsmen - rather their facing jail as at present

27th December 2008

Earl of Wessex in gun dog 'cruelty' row

It is a question every dog owner faces at some time – your dog starts misbehaving and you need to regain control, but how do you do it?

Prince Edward, 44, reacted when he saw two black Labradors trying to grab hold of the same dead bird on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. One dog then ran off and Prince Edward gave chase, taking another swing in its direction 

The Earl of Wessex has found himself at the centre of an animal cruelty row after being captured on film raising his stick to one of his dogs during a pheasant shoot.

23rd December 2008

Clarissa given hare-coursing trial date
 
A TRIAL date has been fixed for celebrity chef Clarissa Dickson Wright and racehorse trainer Sir Mark Prescott, who face charges relating to alleged involvement in a hare coursing event.
 
Dickson Wright, of Midlothian in Scotland, and Sir Mark, of Newmarket, did not attend the hearing at Scarborough Magistrates' Court.

The pair are accused of hunting hares with dogs and attending a hare coursing event in the area of Nunnington, near Helmsley, on March 2 last year, along with two similar alleged offences near Amotherby, Malton on March 3.

22nd December 2008

Ferry son's bail application denied

Rock star's son Otis Ferry, from Shropshire, will spend Christmas behind bars after a judge denied his application for bail. The 25-year-old countryside campaigner, of Eaton Mascot, son of Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court for the bail application.

Ferry, who has been held on remand at HMP Gloucester since September, awaits trial for assault, robbery and two counts of perverting the course of justice.
He is now likely to remain behind bars until his trial at Gloucester Crown Court on March 9th

19th December 2008

Barbaric acts of violence in the name of 'sport'

SAVAGE poachers are travelling to the Grantham area to kill and mutilate deer on a regular basis say police.

Shocking pictures have been released by police showing the once beautiful animals, most of which have died in the most horrific of circumstances.

Poachers are travelling to the area to kill the deer, often for no other reason than the pleasure of seeing a living animal torn to pieces by dogs

17th December 2008

High Court debate on hunt ban

TWO famous Westcountry hunts are involved in High Court test cases which could have important implications for the Government's ban on hunting.

The court was asked yesterday to decide what actually constitutes hunting and how the law on exemptions from the ban should be applied.

Both hunters and anti-hunt campaigners, including the RSPCA and League Against Cruel Sports, want clarification of the 2004 Hunting Act, which imposed the ban

15th December 2008

Bearded Wills triggers new sporting talent as girlfriend Kate Middleton takes aim in hunting session

If racing is the sport of kings, then it looks as if shooting is rapidly becoming the sport of the future king's girlfriend.

Kate Middleton deployed her pheasant-blasting skills at the weekend alongside a bearded Prince William at Sandringham.

Kate, dressed in a dark jacket, scarf and warm hat, beamed broadly as her Royal boyfriend concentrated on taking aim at their feathered quarry above.

15th December 2008

Trio warned for hare-coursing

THREE men have been arrested in the ongoing police crackdown on rural crime in Swyncombe.

The men, two aged 28 and one 19, were held on suspicion of hare coursing at 1am on Thursday last week. Officers also seized a car and three lurchers were taken away to be examined by the RSPCA

9th December 2008

Two convicted on Norfolk hare coursing charges

A Norfolk landowner and her colleague were convicted of hare coursing today after a judge ruled their “sincere” attempt to legally beat the hunting ban had failed.

Mary Birkbeck, 77, and Les Anderson, 80, were found guilty of attending and facilitating two illegal coursing events in November 2007 and January 2008.

Birkbeck was also convicted of permitting land on her Little Massingham estate to be used for the meetings, where hares were pursued across fields by muzzled greyhounds.

The pair were ordered to pay £1,000 each in costs, but escaped further punishment as district judge Philip Browning said he was satisfied a genuine effort had been made to stay within the law.

9th December 2008

Police arrest after animal raids

POLICE raided two addresses in Lancaster and Heysham on Monday as a result of a joint investigation by Lancashire Constabulary and the RSPCA.

The investigation began into offences of hunting wild mammals with dogs after several people came forward and reported incidents of suspected hare coursing in the area.

Police and RSPCA seized two lurcher dogs, a substantial amount of money and several rabbit carcases from an address in Barley Cop Lane. A lurcher puppy was also taken from the address by the RSPCA after being found in appalling conditions. They also arrested a 22-year-old man and seized a vehicle at the second address in St Patricks Walk, Heysham.

9th December 2008

Norfolk landowner denies coursing charge

A prominent landowner was accused of allowing illegal blood sports on her Norfolk estate at the opening of a landmark trial yesterday.

Mary Birkbeck, 77, denies permitting her land at Little Massingham to be used for hare coursing - an outlawed country pursuit in which greyhounds compete to chase and “turn” their quarry.

She appeared alongside two other defendants at King's Lynn Magistrates' Court - Les Anderson, 80, of Lodge Road, Feltwell, and Robert Fryer, 41, from Tring in Hertfordshire

8th December 2008

Landmark hare coursing trial begins

A landmark trial began this morning with a prominent Norfolk landowner accused of permitting illegal hare coursing events on her estate.

Mary Birkbeck, 77, is charged with attending and facilitating the events at her estate in Little Massingham, between November 2007 and January 2008.

Two others - Les Anderson, 80, of Lodge Road, Feltwell, and Robert Fryer, 41, from Tring in Hertfortshire - are also standing trial at King's Lynn Magistrates' Court for attending the events

6th December 2008

Prince Charles caught on camera shooting pheasants with Tory MP Nicholas Soames and King Constantine of Greece

Charles caught killing AGAIN

Prince Charles was yesterday filmed blasting pheasants out of the sky.

Royal watchers say he tries to preserve his "green" image by avoiding being seen with a gun. And Charles looked suitably fed up as he realised he had been spotted shooting on the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The 60-year-old prince was out shooting with friends including Tory MP Nicholas Soames, 60, and King Constantine of Greece. An onlooker said: "As soon as Charles realised there was a photographer around, he walked behind a hedge."

4th December 2008

Three arrested at 1am on suspicion of hare coursing at Swyncombe

Police arrested three men on suspicion of hare coursing in Swyncombe at about 1am today. The arrests come after the neighbourhood policing team vowed to tackle rural crimes in the area.

Insp Stewart Haveron said: “We responded to a report by a local resident that they had seen some hare coursers on their land and arrested three men. “We have also seized their car and the RSPCA have taken three lurchers to be examined

3rd December 2008

Gamekeeper told he faces prison

A head gamekeeper who admitted setting illegal traps and allowing a junior gamekeeper to illegally kill animals has been told he faces jail.

Roger Venton, 33, of Borrough Cottage, Kempton Estate, Aston-on-Clun, Shropshire, pleaded guilty when he appeared at Telford Magistrates' Court.

The court heard he was charged after two former estate employees complained

3rd December 2008

Ferry denies perverting justice

Otis Ferry, the son of Roxy Music singer Bryan, has denied two charges of perverting the course of justice.

Mr Ferry, who is master of South Shropshire Hunt, appeared at Gloucester Magistrates' Court to enter his pleas. The 25-year-old, of Easton Mascot, Shropshire, is alleged to have approached witnesses in relation to another court hearing he is facing