Calls for stronger fox hunting laws on the twentieth anniversary of Hunting Act

Campaigners calling for the government to set out a timetable for delivering stronger fox hunting laws have today [February 18] delivered a 104,000-signature petition to 10 Downing Street on what is the twentieth anniversary of the Hunting Act coming into force.

The League Against Cruel Sports, backed by a raft of celebrities and more than 30 organisations in the Time for Change Coalition Against Hunting, are asking for the law to be strengthened to prevent old fashioned illegal hunting with hounds to take place.

Today the charity is also releasing figures that include hundreds of incidents where hunts were seen chasing foxes or wreaking havoc on rural communities since last summer.

They show 298 foxes reported being pursued by hunts, 350 reports relating to suspected illegal hunting, and 885 cases of hunt havoc.

The League’s figures cover the cub hunting season from August to October, and the fox hunting season from November to early February in England and Wales.

Chris Luffingham, acting chief executive at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “It’s now 20 years since the landmark Hunting Act came into force, a historic milestone in animal welfare that the League was at the forefront of driving, but has never been fit for its intended purpose.

“Hunts claim that they are following trails but our figures show this is clearly a smokescreen to conceal the brutal pursuit and killing of foxes from the public, police and courts.

“We welcome the government’s commitment to banning trail hunting but want it to go further by removing the loopholes in the Hunting Act and introducing custodial sentences for those caught breaking the law – we need a proper deterrent.

“The time for change is now. It’s time for the government to listen to us and the more than 100,000 people who have signed this petition and set out a timetable for when it will end this abhorrent blood sport once and for all.”

The reports of suspected illegal hunting include foxes being chased by hounds, but also other behaviour by hunts that point to the hunting of a wild animal rather than a pre-laid trail, such as terriers being used to flush out foxes that have fled underground.

Hunt havoc also includes incidents inconsistent with laying a trail – hounds running amok on roads and causing road traffic accidents; trespass on people’s properties including their private gardens, livestock worrying; attacks on pet cats or dogs; badger setts being damaged to prevent foxes escaping; and other wildlife such as deer being chased.

The figures are compiled and analysed by the League Against Cruel Sports' intelligence team, which includes former police officers and civilian analysts.

Chris Luffingham added: “These figures are just the tip of the iceberg in respect to the killing still taking place in the countryside, with many incidents in isolated areas undoubtedly going unrecorded, but they give us an invaluable insight into the continued behaviour of the hunts.”

Celebrities who have publicly backed the League’s campaign include actors Maxine Peake, Evanna Lynch, Mike Beckingham and Wendy Morgan; naturalist and wildlife TV presenters Chris Packham. Hannah Stitfall and Iolo Williams; and GP, TV personality and author Dr Amir Khan. It has also been shared by actor Dan Richardson and TV presenters Kirsty Gallagher and Kate Lawler.

Ends

Notes to editors

For more information or interview requests please contact the League Against Cruel Sports Press Office on 07496 496454 (24hrs) or email pressoffice@league.org.uk. More information about the Time for Change Coalition Against Hunting can be found here: www.timeforchangecoalition.co.uk. The petition is available here.

The League’s figures are taken from reports into the League’s Animal Crimewatch Service and from open-source data received from members of the public and monitoring groups.

Photo: Pictured outside 10 Downing Street are L-R

Claire McParland – senior public affairs manager, RSPCA

Lisa Manning – policy officer, Wildlife & Countryside LINK

Emma Judd – head of campaigns, League Against Cruel Sports, holding the petition

Sonul Badiani-Hamment – UK country director, Four Paws UK

Claire Bass – senior director of campaigns and public affairs, Humane World for Animals U

The environment secretary Steve Reed has called for a full hunting ban that will remove the loopholes in the Hunting Act that make it difficult for the law to be enforced, and a ban on trail hunting. The government included a pledge to ban trail hunting in its general election manifesto.

Trail hunting has been describedby Temporary Chief Constable Matt Longman, the most senior police officer in England with responsibility for fox hunting crime, as a “smokescreen for illegal fox hunting”. He has also described illegal hunting as “prolific”.

Polling commissioned last year by the League and carried out by FindOutNow with further analysis by Electoral Calculus showed more than three quarters (76 per cent) of the British public supported strengthening the Hunting Act.

Find Out Now interviewed 5,379 GB adults online from 26 March-2 April 2024. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults by gender, age, social grade, other demographics and past voting patterns.

Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus are both members of the British Polling Council and abide by its rules.

A full breakdown of the data is available here:

https://electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/DataTables_LACS_Jun2024.xlsx

The League Against Cruel Sports is Britain's leading charity that works to stop animals being persecuted, abused and killed for sport. The League was instrumental in helping bring about the landmark Hunting Act 2004 and the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021. We carry out investigations to expose law-breaking and cruelty to animals and campaign for stronger animal protection laws and penalties. We work to change attitudes and behaviour through education and manage wildlife reserves. Find out more about our work at www.league.org.uk. Registered charity in England and Wales (no.1095234) and Scotland (no.SC045533).