Hunt saboteurs claim ‘victory’ as one of England’s most notorious hunts calls it quits – The Canary
Future of controversial Atherstone Hunt in doubt after season suddenly cancelled – Birmingham Mail
Atherstone Hunt: Saboteurs claim victory as fox hunt forced to shut down – The Times
‘Good riddance, let’s move onto the next one!’: BBC’s Chris Packham’s joy as 200-year-old Atherstone Hunt – accused of violence against animal rights activists – shuts down – Mail Online
It shows what groups of dedicated people can do. We’re all volunteers, so it all comes from the heart and the belief that bloodsports and hunting is morally wrong.
On Wednesday 20th February 2019 the Warwickshire Hunt ended up hunting on and next to the B4035 below Brailes Hill. The hunts hounds were running backwards and forwards all over the road causing motorists to stop resulting in a traffic jam. An ambulance on an emergency and with it’s blue light flashing then tried to get past but was delayed because of the hounds on the road.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs said:
“Every second is vital for ambulances when they are on an emergency it can often mean life and death.
They certainly don’t expect to be delayed because a hunt is hunting all over the road and using the road like their own personal playground. In no other walk of life would anyone get away with holding up an ambulance.”
A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said:
“We would always ask that anyone using the roads is aware when ambulances or any other emergency service vehicle is trying to make progress using blue lights and sirens and make every effort to allow them to pass as quickly and safely as possible.”
Earlier that same day in Honnington a fox was filmed being flushed out of a wood by the hunt and then chased by the full pack of hounds
**SHOCKING FOOTAGE**
Groundbreaking investigation carried out by West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs, Stop The Cull and the Hunt Saboteurs Association exposes the dark side of the shooting industry. The footage shows dead pheasants being dumped in a mass open grave by a digger. Watch the full footage here
Pheasants are bred in factory farm conditions only for them to be released, shot and then dumped in pits like this one. The fact that heavy machinery is needed to dump the pheasants shows the scale of just how many birds are killed and dumped every week. This is certainly not a one off this is common practice in the shooting industry.
The birds get dumped Everybody — I repeat, everybody — in the shooting world knows this. – Guy Walters, The Times
The shooting industry is coming under increasing scrutiny and ultimately we would like to see a complete ban.
Until then we will continue to put the cruelty of the shooting industry under the microscope with investigations like this.
About 50 million birds in Britain are bred each year to be shot at more than 5,000 shoots. Customers often pay thousands of pounds to kill up to 800 birds a day.
Up to 600 birds can be killed six days a week for the length of the season. Millions of pheasants and partridges are being shot in this way
Jay Tiernan, spokesperson for Stop the Cull said:
“From watching and listening to people involved in game shooting, it has become obvious that very few people within the industry are prepared to accept that the majority of birds being shot are not making it to the table. Perhaps it is a guilty secret? Whatever the reasoning, it is something that anti bloodsports activists are particularly interested in exposing. Small hidden cameras are becoming cheaper and easier to use, so those involved in the industry should expect to come under closer and closer scrutiny by activists, and in turn by the wider public. Whilst no one in the grassroots animal rights community would condone any killing of game birds, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the big bag shoots (where hundreds of birds are shot per day) are the main perpetrators of this heinous waste of life. It certainly can’t be said, when killing a pheasant on these now common large scale shoots, that it’s “one for the pot”.”
Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated:
“This footage proves the lie that shooting has anything to do with conservation. Game birds are factory farmed in huge numbers purely to be shot in big bag shoots. Shooting is a bloodsport and nothing more. As we receive more and more information about them via our tip off line we expect disruption of shoots by local hunt saboteur groups to increase.”
It is thanks to information from you that we are able to carry out investigations like this one. All communications with us are treated confidentially.
Violence at Atherstone Hunt Boxing Day Meet 2018 – Market Bosworth
Violence erupted both at the demonstration and later in the day as Atherstone Hunt supporters attacked both demonstrators and saboteurs. A member of the public was violently attacked by the hunt as her hair was grabbed and pulled by a regular hunt supporter. One hunt supporter grabbed one of the demonstrators banners with her teeth showing just how feral and out of control this hunt are. Hunt supporters were drinking alcohol all day, which raises questions regarding health and safety of this event.
West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs claim it was protesters who were the victims of the violence in Market Bosworth. A spokesman said:
“Boxing Day is the biggest day in the hunting calendar. It is totally outdated for them to continue hunting, and totally barbaric.
“Of course it’s not acceptable for protesters to face violence just because they want to voice their disagreement with the hunt. But it’s not surprising.”
They added:
“If people are willing to be violent towards animals, it’s only a small step to being violent towards humans. One woman was injured after having her hair pulled out – but she’s okay now I believe.”
The Atherstone Hunt declined to comment on the allegations
As part of our Operation Blackthorn campaign to expose the political policing and police bias against hunt saboteurs at Leicestershire Police we have held a number of “pop up” demonstrations at police stations around Leicestershire over the past month.
We chose to start at Beaumont Leys Police Station to link it to our petition asking the Chief Constable to remove a DS Matt Trott from Leicestershire Police’s hunting operation due to inappropriate comments he made on the phone to a member of our group. Trott is based at Beaumont Leys Police Station.
“You are hunt saboteurs that’s what you do, you trespass on other people’s property and harass people”
Warwickshire Hunt – Saturday 20th January 2018ANOTHER FOX FORCED TO RUN FOR IT'S LIFE FROM THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNTOn Saturday the Warwickshire Hunt hunted around Meon Hill and Admington. Every time we go to the Warwickshire Hunt at the moment we are seeing foxes being chased. Saturday was no different, as soon as we arrived we saw a fox running with hounds very close behind. We don’t know if this fox escaped or not…They spent the last part of the day hunting another fox around the Admington area, again we don’t know if this fox escaped or not. The National Trust have recently given the Warwickshire Hunt a License to use their land, despite the foxes that are filmed being chased on an almost weekly basis, despite a former hunt director receiving a caution for assaulting a sab and despite there being terrier-men present at every meet. The National Trust have said there is no place for terrier-men at a ‘trail hunt’ so we’re not sure how the National Trust explain their presence at the Warwickshire. They are normally found illegally driving quad bikes with no license plates on. The National trust should also ask themselves why is the Warwickshire Hunt desperate to stop us filming them? What have they got to hide if they aren't doing anything illegal? Please sign the petition to get the Warwickshire Hunt banned from National Trust land https://www.change.org/p/farnborough-hall-stop-the-warwickshire-hunt-on-national-trust-landPlease politely ask Patrick Begg, who oversees the National Trust's hunting policy, why assault, trespass, convictions for illegal hunting and illegally hunting through people's gardens isn't enough to turn down a licence application at patrick.begg@nationaltrust.org.uk.#strengthenthehuntingact
On Saturday the Warwickshire Hunt hunted around Meon Hill and Admington. Every time we go to the Warwickshire Hunt at the moment we are seeing foxes being chased. Continue reading →
WARWICKSHIRE HUNT INVADE HOMES AND GARDENSWarwickshire Hunt – Saturday 13th January – OxhillThe Warwickshire Hunt rampaged through the village of Oxhill in Warwickshire on Saturday as they hunted a fox through peoples back gardens. It was down to saboteurs to intervene and stop the hounds from hunting the fox. Earlier in the day saboteurs had already had to stop the hounds after they were spotted chasing a fox near Epwell. Again members of the hunt did nothing to stop the hounds. We’ve been contacted by many local residents since the incident who are all upset and angry at what happened. We have put them in touch with Hounds Off who deal with hunt trespass. One local resident told us that one of the hounds even managed to get inside her house:“I have just had an altercation with Warwickshire hunt at my property where not only did a massive fox hound get into my garden but also entered my house where my 6 month old baby is on the floor in a baby walker, thankfully we got to her before it did we have reported it to the police and I am waiting for the officer to attend now, I am shaken and beyond furious !Their arrogant behaviour and incompetence at controlling the pack has left me fuming, I can’t bare to even speak to the hunt master who obviously thinks that my home, a haven for my children, is fair hunting ground for their hounds to come and go freely with complete disregard for the safety of my children including a 6 month old baby”There is no reason that hounds from the Warwickshire Hunt would be in people's homes and gardens except that they were illegally hunting a fox. This incident highlights the arrogance of this hunt who obviously think they are above the law and can do what they like where they like with complete disregard for people's private property. Luckily West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs were on hand to stop the hounds from chasing the fox and get the hounds out of the gardens. Local residents are understandably upset and angry at this incident, they could have had pet rabbits or cats out in the gardens. We’ve been calling for the Hunting Act to be strengthened for a while now but this incident shows that fox hunts have very little control over their hounds and that strengthening the Hunting Act is the very minimum that needs to happen. As long as packs of hounds are allowed to roam freely round the countryside there will always be a danger to both wildlife and people. Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/westmidlandhuntsabs
Warwickshire Hunt – Saturday 13th January – Oxhill
The Warwickshire Hunt rampaged through the village of Oxhill in Warwickshire on Saturday as they hunted a fox through peoples back gardens. Continue reading →