Boxing day hunts to be thing of the past with trail hunting set to be banned

Trail hunting sees a scent laid out for the hunt to follow rather than a real animal, and was introduced as a replacement for fox hunting, which was banned by Labour in 2004

Boxing Day hunts are set to become a thing of the past with the process to ban trail hunting to start next year.

Trail hunting sees a scent laid out for the hunt to follow rather than a real animal, and was introduced as a replacement for fox hunting, which was banned by Labour in 2004.

Campaigners have long warned foxes are still often torn to shreds by dogs during the hunts, while the national police lead on illegal hunting, Devon and Cornwall’s assistant Chief Constable, Matt Longman, has claimed trail hunting was often used as “a smokescreen” for illegal fox hunting. Now the Government is set to deliver on a ban, expected within this parliament, which comes as part of its animal welfare strategy set to be published on Monday.

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Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman said: “In our manifesto we said we would ban trail hunting, and that’s exactly what we’ll do. There is evidence that trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen for the hunting of wild animals, and that’s not acceptable.”

Ministers had committed to reforming animal welfare and will launch a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a full ban in the new year. Shooting hares in England is also expected to be banned for most of the year as part of the changes.

The RSPCA Director of Advocacy and Prevention Thomas Schultz-Jagow welcomed steps being taken to stop the “abhorrent and cruel bloodsport”. He said: “Every year, wild animals, pets and horses suffer whilst being chased and killed by packs of hounds on trail hunts while rural communities endure anti-social behaviour and intimidation.

“There is mounting evidence that, since the Hunting Act came into force in 2004, ‘legal’ trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen to illegally hunt with dogs. This has made enforcement of the Hunting Act extremely challenging for the authorities.”

League Against Cruel Sports figures found the hunting season saw 264 instances of illegal hunting, 211 foxes reported to have been pursued which is an increase of 10%, and 19 foxes confirmed or strongly suspected to have been killed.

Emma Slawinski, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports declared fox hunting would soon be finished for good. She said: “Trail hunting was invented after fox hunting was banned by the last Labour government in 2005, as the hunts were convinced the ban wouldn’t hold.

“It’s been 20 years, so it’s time the hunts got over themselves and finally realise fox hunting is never going to come back, that the government and the public aren’t taken in by their claims trail hunting is a real thing, and that actually it’s time to make the law stronger so it’s easier to prosecute those who are going to carry on hunting regardless.

“However, we would also ask the government goes further by closing the loopholes in the Hunting Act that give hunts other excuses to kill wild animals with dogs, such as deer, hares, otters and mink, and increase the penalties for those convicted of illegal hunting.”

The Countryside Alliance has warned changes to the law are completely unjustified, and claimed Labour had an “obsession” with hunting. Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “Animal rights activists have spent 20 years making increasingly spurious claims about the legal activity of hunts without any evidential basis. Trail hunting is a legal activity which supports hundreds of jobs and is central to many rural communities. “Especially after its attack on family farms, the government should be focusing on addressing issues that actually help rural communities thrive, rather than pursuing divisive policies that hinder them”.