Hunts kill 91 animals after ban

They just don't give a fox

By Robert Kellaway

MORE than 10,000 hunters sent a defiant ‘B******s to the ban' message to the government yesterday when they rode out backed by thousands of supporters.

They killed 91 foxes legally under the new rules. Most were shot although the Countryside Alliance admitted some had been ‘unintentionally' caught by hounds.

But the League Against Cruel Sports, which had sent out 100 monitors, said it expected four of the hunts to face prosecution.

Spokesman Mike Hobday said: "We have received reports of what we believe is clearly illegal activity by a number of hunts across Britain."

Hunting with hounds was outlawed on Friday. The law now allows no more than two hounds to track a fox which can be shot, but not killed by dogs.

Mare

The law was yesterday declared a "monstrous persecution of decent hunting folk" by Otis Ferry, son of pop idol Brian and joint master of the South Shropshire Hunt.

Sitting astride a silver mare called Coco, he pledged: "No way is fox hunting finished."

In a show of defiance, his hunt later fed the hounds a fox which had been killed legally by shooting.

Meanwhile in Postbridge, Dartmoor, the hounds were ripping to shreds an effigy of Tony Blair and another dummy of the PM was lynched under a ‘Stamp Out TB' sign.

In Mr Blair's constituency, the South Durham Hunt were drag hunting, which is legal. They tracked a fox to a copse, shot it three times and used it to lay a scent trail for the pack to follow.

Labour MP Kate Hoey gave a defiant speech against the ban to a crowd of 3,000 supporters at the Royals' favourite the Beaufort Hunt, Glos. She called party colleagues who voted for the ban "prejudiced and bigoted".

Girls in the Cheshire Forest Hunt were also upfront about their views, wearing T-shirts that read: "Foxy ladies do it hunting."

On the back, it said: "B******s to the ban." Victoria Aspin, 23, said: "Hunting is part of our heritage."

Anti-hunt protesters were also out in force and there were clashes at the Crawley and Horsham Hunt in West Sussex. Saboteur Jane Wild, 49, said: "I was told I'd get a bullet in my head if I didn't clear off."