31st July 2009

Men convicted of hunting hares on South Downs

Four people have admitted illegal hunting in Sussex. The men were caught hare-coursing, at Angmering Park, on the South Downs in February. Thomas Joseph Connors, 31, from Wallington, Surrey; Edward Mark Connors, 40, from Horley, Surrey; James O’Brien, 38, from Westerham, Kent and James Robb, 24, from Stanmore, Middlesex, used dogs to hunt wild hares on the Downs between Worthing and Arundel.

Each of the men was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £250 each when they appeared at Worthing Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. Edward Connors, Thomas Connors and James Robb were ordered to forfeit the dogs. Sussex Police farmwatch co-ordinator PC Peter Child said: "Hare coursing is illegal

29th July 2009

Horse trainer and retired army major guilty of hare-coursing

The champion racehorse trainer Peter Easterby and a retired army major, John Shaw, were convicted today of taking part in illegal hare-coursing on their land in North Yorkshire two years ago. Scarborough magistrates heard that the event was secretly filmed by wildlife campaigners who regularly monitor supposed greyhound field trials to check whether they are coursing in disguise. The district judge, Christina Harrison, gave both men an absolute discharge and no costs award because "everybody in this case has had extreme difficulty trying to wrestle what exactly parliament meant in the 2005 Hunting Act". The trial heard that a police officer had attended the event and left satisfied that it was legal.

26th July 2009

Hunt drop 'sabs' fight

Legal action against "hunt monitors" by the Crawley & Horsham hunt and 80 landowners has been shelved a year after it was launched, with probable costs of £100,000 to hunting and little gained

22nd July 2009

Badger cruelty case continues

A CASE at Dumfries Sheriff Court in which a 58-year-old man has been accused of snaring and beating to death six badgers, has been continued for a week to allow further discussions between his solicitors and the procurator fiscal.

Anthony Rogers, of Breconside Farm, Moffat, has pleaded not guilty to a total of nine charges in connection with the deaths of the animals which were alleged to have been beaten with a blunt instrument.

Terrierman charged with sett interference

A terrierman and whipper-in for the South Dorset Hunt is to go before Bournemouth magistrates twice in July. In each of two cases Christopher Leadbeater will face charges of interfering with different badger setts in March and November last year. Sue Old of the Dorset Badger Group is to be a witness in both cases which are expected to run for a total of four days.

8th July 2009

Tory William Hague's secret deal to reverse bloodsports ban - Exclusive

The Tories have secretly assured huntsmen they will make legalising bloodsports a priority if they win the next General Election.

Party big gun William Hague promised the ban would be quickly scrapped as he addressed a Masters of Foxhounds Association meeting

Countryside Alliance chief Simon Hart crowed that the Shadow Foreign Secretary "gave the 400 assembled masters everything they wanted to hear and more