Calls for Cheshire East Council to ban fox hunting on public land

Hunting with dogs was banned 15 years ago, but the League has compiled 30 reports of activities relating to suspected illegal fox hunting in Cheshire during the last cub and fox hunting seasons alone.

Many of the reports relate to activity in the constituency of Cheshire East, which is the first council to be targeted in northern England. The campaign will continue despite the huts being grounded because of the coronavirus lockdown.

Chris Luffingham, director of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said:

“Despite the fox hunting ban, three fox hunts have been operating in the Cheshire countryside, and sadly they are still chasing and brutally killing foxes which their hounds literally tear apart.

“The four-week lockdown will stop their activities for a brief period, but not forever. And with more people using nature as a way to cope with the restrictions, now is the right time to protect wildlife and the natural world.

“We need to deny the hunts the land they need for their cruel blood sport so we’re calling on the public to contact their council, especially Cheshire East, and propose councillors take a stand and ban hunting on their land.”

Hunts often say they are following ‘trails’ they have laid rather than a fox’s scent, but the reality is that hunts chase and kill foxes routinely as they did before the ban.

The League has reports of hunts posing significant risks as they trespass across private property and residential areas, cause havoc on roads and railway lines and pose a threat to domestic and farm animals. If the hunts were following laid trails, these incidents simply wouldn’t happen.

There were also seven reports from Cheshire of fox hunt staff, or the terrier men that accompany them, illegally blocking up badger setts to prevent foxes going underground during the chase, or digging up other badger setts to get to foxes that were hiding there.

Elsewhere, in a landmark decision made in early 2019, Nottinghamshire County Council banned trail hunting on its land.

Chris added:

“In the months since the Covid-19 outbreak began, many of us have been able to take comfort in getting in touch with nature and enjoyed the respite nature was getting from human interference.

“However, now that hunting season is upon us again, I am concerned about the damage it will do to the environment, people, wildlife and our relationship with nature. It’s time to ban hunting on public land.”

The fox hunting season runs from late October to early April but cub hunting, a barbaric practice in which hunt hounds are trained to kill by targeting young foxes, takes place between August and the end of October.

Please see  https://www.league.org.uk/contact-your-council to contact your councillor and urge them to ban hunting on public land.

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. 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 sanctuaries to protect wildlife. Find out more about our work at www.league.org.uk. Registered charity in England and Wales (no.1095234) and Scotland (no.SC045533).