A Wiltshire-based hunt at the centre of a scandal after a video apparently showing an 'illegal fox hunt' was released has been expelled by the sport's governing body.

The British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) held an urgent disciplinary hearing on Thursday after the video, released by ITV News, appeared to show members of the Avon Vale Hunt digging foxes out of their dens for their hounds to chase.

Fox hunting is illegal in the UK. Trail hunting, in which dogs and their horse-riding owners follow scents scattered across the countryside by hunt officials, is the closest legal equivalent.

A disciplinary panel of the Hound Sports Regulatory Authority convened in Cirencester to review the footage, which it said was filmed on December 20, 2022.

After rewatching the footage and hearing evidence from the joint masters, acting chairman and kennel huntsman of the Avon Vale group, the panel found that - on the balance of probabilities - there had been "serious breaches" of the association's rules.

A BHSA spokesman said: "On reaching their conclusions, the panel indicated that, in view of the nature of the conduct found to have occurred, they were minded permanently to expel the hunt and its masters, huntsman, and kennel huntsman from membership of the BHSA.

"This would mean that, in all probability, the hunt would no longer be able to function."

But this decision is not yet final. The hunt's members have 14 days to make any further representations in relation to their potential ban and any other sanctions the panel intends to impose.

After the footage obtained by ITV News was broadcast and shared on social media, the Avon Vale Hunt was suspended from all hunting activities and from its membership.

On the day after the hearing, Wiltshire Police arrested three men - a 29-year-old man from Lacock, a 38-year old man from Bromham, and a 35-year-old man from Devizes - on suspicion of three wildlife-related offences.

Reacting to the video, wildlife expert and TV presenter Chris Packham said: "To witness this barbarity, this pre-meditated callous cruelty inflicted on a wild animal in the UK countryside in the 21st century is absolutely sickening.

"But this is the brutal face of fox hunting. This is not an isolated incident. We see this week in, week out.

"This insidious vile habit has to be stamped out once and for all."