December 2018

When we witnessed illegal hunting in Battram Woods by the Atherstone Hunt (a place the Atherstone Hunt are not allowed to stray off the bridleways). We asked officers from Leicestershire Police if they were going to leave their cars and gather evidence for themselves of illegal fox hunting. They refused. First they claimed they couldn’t because it was private property so we had to point out to them that there are numerous footpaths leading to the woods and the woods themselves are completely open to the public. They still refused making various excuses and told us they believed the Atherstone Hunt were trail hunting. They said they would investigate if we provided them with evidence, they didn’t seem to understand that it’s actually their job not ours to collect evidence of illegal activities.

If there was any doubt left as to Leicestershire Police’s attitude towards hunting this incident should erase that doubt. They are not interested in investigating fox hunting. It seems over the past few years more effort and enthusiasm has been put into trying to secure convictions on saboteurs.