Dursley | Archive | 2006 | January | 13
From the archive, first published Friday 13th Jan 2006.
THE Berkeley Hunt has this week been accused of illegally hunting foxes a year after a new law was passed banning the sport.
The illegal hunting took place last Wednesday near Slimbridge and although Berkeley Hunt members have admitted that at one point during the hunt they were chasing a live fox, they have stressed it was a one-off accident.
The Gazette has been told by several eyewitnesses that the huntsmen not only rode through the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge but were also seen chasing a live fox with hounds.
And one eyewitness, who asked to be refereed to only as Helen, said how the hunt did not appear to hide what they were doing.
She said: "We were driving down the main road towards the trust when we noticed a group of hunt followers stood by the side of the road so we got out to watch as well. With that a fox ran past us and then we saw two hounds who were obviously pursuing it.
"The hunt followers didn't seem to mind boasting that the law was being ignored.
"What we saw would suggest they are still hunting foxes not dragging."
Last year Parliament passed the Hunting Act 2004 which bans anyone from hunting a wild mammal using a dog. Since the law came into effect hunts across the country have continued to meet to chase a fox's sent instead of a live animal.
The Berkeley Hunt's leader confirmed that the hunt met last week and admitted their hounds did chase a live fox after a crossover of scent trails. However, hunt master Henry Berkeley claimed the animals were stopped straightaway.
He told the Gazette: "There have been many claims this season of this nature.
"We did meet last week and were in the Slimbridge area. Last Wednesday we laid our trail using scent, which we always do, sometimes unfortunately our scent trail crosses a live trail and the hounds do get more excited about a live fox scent then what we have laid.
"We do of course stop the hounds as soon as possible. There were a lot of foxes around Slimbridge last week, unfortunately these things do happen, but thank God last week we didn't break the law and no foxes were injured."
Spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports Wanda Wyporska said: "Clearly the hunts have prided themselves for centuries on their ability to control dogs by horn, by whip or by voice command.
"It is absurd that after February 18 these people are now unable to control their dogs and if they are unable to control their dogs they shouldn't be out.
"The allegations made by local people confirm what our hunt intelligence tells us from around the country - that 44 percent of hunts have had substantial allegations of illegal hunting made against them.
"We urge anybody who sees anything to call the police or our hunt crimewatch number on 0845 330 8486."
She added: "Hunters are not above the law even if led by a lord."
The hunt owns the land at WWT Slimbridge and does have the right to ride through it, however, hunting on the land is frowned upon because of the protected birds on site. At the time of going to press, no-one from the centre was available to comment.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008