Hunt won’t face charges over garden fox chase (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Hunt won’t face charges over garden fox chase

12:59pm Thursday 2nd February 2006 in News

THE Avon Vale Hunt has been told it will not face any charges following an investigation by Devizes police.

Ron and Pat Thomas had called the police after they saw a fox being chased by about 20 hounds through their garden by the hunt.

The police investigated whether illegal hunting took place and submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service which said this week that there was insufficient evidence.

The incident took place on November 3. Police sent officers to Mr and Mrs Thomas's house off the A360 between Potterne and Market Lavington and later that same day sent a photographer to take pictures of animal prints in their garden.

At the time Jonathon Seed, master of the Avon Vale Hunt, agreed that some of the hounds chased a fox but said when the hunts people realised they called the hounds off.

He said around 12 people were riding during trail hunting, where an artificial scent is laid, when a fox came out of brambles and the hounds chased it for a brief period.

Following the decision by the CPS not to bring charges Mr Seed said: "I'd always been entirely confident that no offence had occurred.

"There was no doubt that a fox was chased by hounds but because there was no intention there was no crime committed.

"The act of chasing the animal, which clearly occurred, is not an offence under the Hunting Act. The intention to chase it is and there was no intent on our part to chase it."

Mr Seed was interviewed under caution at Devizes Borough Police Station seven days after the complaint was made.

He said: "The police seemed to place a higher priority on investigating hunting than they do a house burglary. To get a police car there within ten minutes when there was no danger to property or people was quite an achievement.

"The Hunting Act is a joke. It's proving to be a complete waste of public time and public money."

This was the first allegation of illegal hunting against the Avon Vale Hunt under the new law that made it to the CPS for consideration.

Mr Thomas said he was disappointed at the CPS decision. "The hunt ride roughshod over people's land, it's really annoying," he said.