FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS — THE BEAUFORT HUNT BRANDED AS ‘SERIAL KILLERS’ BY BBC CHANEL FOUR

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter Beaufort Branded ‘Serial Killers’ By Channel 4 News! Last night, millions watched on in horror as Channel 4 News screened a major report on illegal fox hunting. The piece was largely composed of footage captured by hunt saboteurs in recent weeks and months. WATCH THE VIDEO Some of the most disturbing footage features the Beaufort Hunt – who count the King and Queen amongst their most fervent supporters. Blatant fox hunting at the Beaufort Hunt. Evidence collected since early October shows that fox hunting by the Beaufort is neither accidental nor rare. Instead, it is deliberate, persistent, and organised — involving hunt staff, management, terrier-men, mounted followers, paying subscribers and, more recently, a group of high-visibility-clad sab “stalkers”. Far from isolated incidents, the footage reveals a consistent pattern of behaviour that is simply pre-ban, traditional fox hunting. Sustained Sabbing Reveals the Truth Hunt saboteur groups from Bath, Bristol, Cirencester, Reading and Wiltshire have maintained a near-constant presence at the Beaufort Hunt throughout the season. The use of a thermal drone by Wiltshire Sabs has dramatically increased visibility of what happens beyond public view, exposing multiple fox chases, confirmed kills, and attempts to conceal evidence. This level of documentation does not suggest a hunt behaving unusually badly compared to other hunts; rather, it reveals what happens when a hunt is subject to consistent scrutiny. Furthermore, several attempts by the hunt – including a successful attempt in November 2024 to bring the sabs drone out of the sky– show the lengths the Beaufort will go to conceal the evidence of their cruel criminality. Sopworth: Multiple Foxes Hunted in a Single Day On Saturday 20 December 2025, five foxes were actively hunted during a single Beaufort meet. At Sopworth in north Wiltshire, two foxes were flushed from cover in front of the huntsman, Will Bryer, so close in fact that it leaves no room for plausible deniability. The reality of ‘trail hunting’. Drone footage shows the huntsman deliberately positioning himself at the edge of covert immediately before the first of the two foxes broke cover. Hounds were cast into a wildlife habitat, to deliberately search for foxes. One fox crossed Bryer’s direct line of sight before hounds were later put deliberately onto its line. A second fox then broke cover directly in front of the huntsman and was immediately chased at full cry. During the ensuing pursuit, hounds closed to within a metre of the fox on multiple occasions. The fox escaped only through quick, instinctive manoeuvring and by reaching the larger woodland of Sopworth Brake. Mounted followers then surrounded the wood, rendering claims of ignorance implausible. Rather than drawing hounds away, Bryer later directed them towards the escape route of the first fox. A member of the public subsequently witnessed a fox being chased by hounds across Worcester Avenue. The fate of both foxes remains unknown. Brave fox makes a lightening turn to escape the Beaufort hounds. Kill Confirmed on the Duke’s Estate - one crime a day isn’t enough for the Beaufort. Later that day, drone footage captured the killing of a fox within the Duke of Beaufort’s private estate near Lord’s Copse. The fox was pursued into cover, seized by hounds, and killed. Two terrier-men waiting on quad bikes witnessed the incident and immediately attempted to conceal the body. In a grotesquely farcical scene, one terrier-man retrieved the mangled body and stuffed it down the side of his clothing, awkwardly batting away hounds still biting at the remains. Footage shows him next loading it onto a quad bike and leaving the scene. When foot saboteurs approached, they were met with intimidation and aggression. Public Posturing, Private Reality Just six days later, Bryer appeared across national news coverage for his “rousing” Boxing Day speech, theatrically calling out, “Are you watching?” to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. The implication was clear: minority public support for hunting should override animal welfare law. This performance stood in stark contrast to the documented reality of foxes being chased, torn apart, and concealed only days earlier. Beaufort Hunt riders enjoy illegal fox hunting. Cranmore Farm: Another Kill, Same Pattern - Serial Killers! On 3 January 2026, further drone footage revealed another fox being hunted and killed at Cranmore Farm in south Gloucestershire — property linked to prominent figures close to the Royal Family and just kilometres from the King’s Highgrove residence. Hounds were cast into woodland well before the kill. Quad bikes were used to harass saboteurs, suppress audio evidence, and drive foxes back into cover — standard tactics designed to obstruct sabbing. The huntsman knowingly rode towards a fox hiding in a hedgerow, triggering a predictable flush and chase. At no point did he attempt to stop the hounds. He rode with them until the fox was caught and killed. As hounds tore into the animal, Bryer dismounted and stamped on the fox while dogs still had the dying fox in their jaws, attempting to retrieve the body as a drone approached. Cranmore Creep removes the evidence. Not Isolated. Not Rare. Not Accidental. These incidents occurred within weeks of each other. They are not anomalies. In late November, Wiltshire Sabs arrived at the Fosse Way to find hounds killing a fox in a hedgerow — just fields from the later Cranmore kill. Whipper-in Mitch Prosser removed the remains in a bin bag. Other documented chases, including the widely reported Bremhill incident, further reinforce the pattern. Several cases remain under police investigation. Yet two decades after hunting with dogs was supposedly banned, enforcement remains weak and loopholes persist. Beaufort hounds tear into their victim. Time for the Government to Act The evidence is overwhelming. The Beaufort Hunt is not “accidentally” breaking the law — it is continuing a banned activity in plain sight. Without urgent action to end the loopholes and ban trail hunting outright, fox hunting will continue in all but name. The government should make good on its manifesto promise and get the job done. ‘Trail Hunting’ is a Smokescreen A spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association said: “Once again, ‘trail hunting’ has been exposed as a sham. Several hunts from around the country have now once again, been caught hunting wildlife some 20 years after it was banned. What the public saw on Channel 4 News is only a fraction of what happens every week. Foxes are fed through the summer, hunted in front of paying spectators, and dug out or bolted when they seek refuge. Enormous resources and effort is spent intimidating sabs and hiding evidence of criminality. The government has promised to end this. It must now act to finally dismantle the trail hunting smokescreen that enables this cruelty to continue.” Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — PIN BADGES TO SUPPORT OF BANNING THE KILLING OF FOXES

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more A new pin badge to support the fight to end fox hunting FEB 11 READ IN APP We’re super excited to release these gorgeous limited edition pin badges! They’re designed by the talented Ben Sinclair from Fire Lily Studio, the mastermind behind our animations. Buy a Pin Badge 🦊 All funds raised will go towards our ongoing campaign to end hunting with hounds for good. This means continuing to lobby the Govt through online and in-person campaigning, funding equipment for monitors and saboteurs, producing viral animations, monthly hunting news pieces, mental health support for activists.. There’s only 500 available and once they’re gone they’re gone for good! SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST — WHY THE RELEASE OF BEAVERS & WHY NOT!

View this email in your browser Dear John, Yesterday marked a momentous occasion for nature recovery in Cornwall. It’s a day that we at Cornwall Wildlife Trust have been working towards for a very long time. We carried out Cornwall’s first fully licensed release of wild beavers, in the Par and Fowey catchments. And, John, you’ve played a key role in making this happen! This new release, approved under a Natural England licence and delivered in partnership with the Beaver Trust, will strengthen the existing population of wild beavers at Helman Tor, which were from an unauthorised release in 2024 by an unknown party. It’s a hugely important step in securing a safe, well-managed future for beavers in Cornwall. As a valued member of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, your ongoing support has been instrumental in helping our team reach this milestone. Together, we’ve made these landmark moments possible. So, from all of us - thank you. You’ve become a part of history - of a rewilding story that turned a complex challenge into a future where nature is allowed to thrive. We’ll be sharing official updates as the beavers settle in. But in the meantime, we thought you’d like to see a little footage captured yesterday of the moment the beavers were released. You can read more about the release in our news article. With dam big thanks, Cornwall Wildlife Trust P.S. If you’d like to directly support our ongoing work providing health checks and monitoring Cornwall’s wild beaver population, you can still do so here. Opening image credit: Beaver Trust Facebook icon Instagram icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon © 2026 Cornwall Wildlife Trust. All rights reserved. Registered charity number 214929. Privacy Policy and T&Cs Our mailing address is: Cornwall Wildlife Trust Five Acres, Allet, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9DJ Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — HUNTERS & KILLERS CARRY-ON THEIR ‘SPORT’ AS GOVERNMENT DELAYS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The Govt continues to waste time over ending hunting for good ROB POWNALL FEB 9 READ IN APP For more than a year, ministers have repeatedly promised a public consultation on strengthening the Hunting Act and banning so-called trail hunting. Yet despite these assurances, the consultation has still not appeared. Statements have been made, expectations raised, and commitments restated, but the public is still waiting. Meanwhile, animals continue to suffer. DEFRA ministers have confirmed on multiple occasions that the government intends to act on its manifesto commitment to end trail hunting and strengthen hunting laws. In spring 2025, ministers again said the consultation was being prepared and would come soon. Still, no date has been set and no document published. This is not a minor administrative delay. A consultation is the first essential step towards closing the loopholes that hunts rely on to continue operating. Every week that passes without action allows hunts to carry on chasing, injuring, and killing wild animals under the cover of trail hunting. Foxes, hares, deer, mink, and otters pay the price for political hesitation. What Ministers Are Quietly Saying in Parliament Behind the vague public assurances, a recent parliamentary answer has revealed something far more concerning. In response to a direct question from Neil Duncan-Jordan MP about plans to publish a consultation on amending the Hunting Act 2004, the government stated plainly that the Department has no plans to publish a consultation on amending the Hunting Act. The same minister (Angela Eagle MP) then added that the Department will consult early this year on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting. That distinction matters. By explicitly ruling out a broader consultation on the Hunting Act itself, the government is narrowing the scope of reform before the process has even begun. This raises serious concerns that ministers are opting for limited adjustments rather than the decisive action needed to finally end hunting. National Exposure Has Put Hunting Under the Spotlight In the last week alone, pressure on hunting has reached an unprecedented level. On national television, Channel 4 News broadcast footage of multiple hunts being caught killing foxes. The reporting was stark. When a mainstream national news programme is prepared to describe a hunt (BSV) as behaving like serial killers, it tells you just how indefensible this activity has become. This was not activist rhetoric. It was a sober news report shown to millions of viewers. The footage was graphic, disturbing, and impossible to dismiss. It showed exactly what campaigners have warned about for years. Trail hunting is being used as a cover for illegal and brutal activity. Chris Packham takes on the infamous BSV hunt The pressure has not come from the media alone. In recent days, Chris Packham joined monitors and hunt saboteurs on the ground to observe and document the activities of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. His involvement brought further national attention to what is happening in the countryside and to the lack of meaningful enforcement under the current law. Packham’s presence reflected growing frustration that, twenty years after the Hunting Act was passed, wildlife is still being chased and killed while politicians debate process and timing. Other Animal Welfare Consultations Are Already Moving Forward What makes the delay on hunting even harder to justify is that DEFRA has already launched consultations on other animal welfare issues. The government has progressed work on puppy imports, shock collars, and other animal protection measures. These consultations exist. They have timetables. They have been published. Only hunting remains stuck in limbo, despite being one of the clearest and most popular manifesto commitments. Public support for stronger hunting laws is overwhelming. The evidence of ongoing abuse is undeniable. Yet the consultation continues to be postponed. The Defra Minister Must Set a Date This ongoing delay is no longer acceptable. Every unanswered question and every vague promise allows cruelty to continue. The public deserves transparency. Wildlife deserves protection. The DEFRA Secretary of State must now state clearly when the hunting consultation will be published and commit to meaningful reform that finally ends hunting with dogs. The time for warm words has passed. What is needed now is a date, a consultation, and action. Sign our petition calling on the DEFRA Minister to reveal when the hunting consultation will happen and to end the delays once and for all. Sign the petition Support the fight to end hunting We’ve just released a beautiful limited edition pin badge with profits supporting our campaign to end fox hunting for good. You can pick one up here. Get the Badge SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM FRIENDS OF THE EARTH — MAJOR CORPORATIONS POLLUTING OUR RIVERS AND LAKES

View in browser Dear John, I emailed last month to tell you how our rivers, lakes and seas are threatened by corporate pollution. And to highlight how we’re taking action – in just a few weeks nearly 25,000 people have signed our petition demanding that the government takes action. Because it’s been dragging its feet. The government promised to crack down on water pollution more than a year ago. The Water Commission told it urgent action was needed last summer. But it took until January for a published vision for water to emerge. And MPs won’t see an expected new water law for months. Meanwhile, corporates – the water companies, industrial farms and other industries – are pocketing massive profits from environmental ruin. This needs to change. Urgently. Will you help to make that change happen? Our campaign for clean water needs your support – with a donation you can make 2026 the year polluters clean up their act. I'LL MAKE A DONATION Whether it’s water companies pumping sewage into our seas, toxic slurry from factory farms or forever chemicals seeping into waterways – polluters are still contaminating our water. The new water bill will come out later this year. And it could finally hold polluters to account. But there’s a risk this new law will let them off the hook again. We can’t let that happen. Unlike the corporations, our work relies on donations from people like you – we’re truly people powered. We need you to make our successes possible. Will you help us get a win for water in 2026? I'LL MAKE A DONATION With hope, Kierra Friends of the Earth PS Don’t worry if you can’t donate today – you’re already having a huge impact. About us Supporter promise Privacy policy Contact us DONATE This email was sent to spanishjohnedwards@gmail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? Unsubscribe from this list We send communications to our supporters who have opted in to receive emails from us. Friends of the Earth Limited. Reg. No. 01012357. Incorporated in England and Wales. Registered office: Friends of the Earth The Printworks 139 Clapham Road London, SW9 0HP United Kingdom Copyright © Friends of the Earth Limited

FROM MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY — AN UPDATE

A big thank you, PFAS update, and winter wellbeing tips View in browser A wide shot of a coastline, with white foamy waves lapping against the cliff side. Text overlaid reads: Thank you! Hi John, Thanks so much to everyone who supported our Unlikely Ocean Hero appeal – together, you raised £8,300! Your donations will have a huge impact on all our work, particularly with native oysters and other hero species around our Atlantic Coast and beyond, so a very big thank you. January brought a lot of marine-related policy updates and reports, which can be hard to keep on top of. To help break this down, our lovely Public Affairs Team has created a short round-up of what’s new and what it means for our seas. Since winter can feel hard with long nights and not a lot of sunshine, I've got some tips to share on how you can support your wellbeing with a wintry walk by the sea, as well as giving you a dose of ocean optimism with our latest positive ocean news. Let's dive in! Amy Digital Channels Manager Marine Conservation Society Boost your wellbeing this winter A wide shot of a snowy beach. Several people can be seen walking along the shoreline. Beaches aren’t just for the summer – in fact, they’re a great way to boost your mood in winter, when many of us can feel a bit low. Take a walk along the sea, enjoy some much-needed daylight, and switch off from the noise of daily life. I'd love to hear what you most enjoy about a winter walk on the beach! Inspire me to take a wintry walk on the beach Positive ocean news Several test tubes are lined up, filled with different coloured liquids including red, orange and teal. Credit: Ryan Zzazueta | Unsplash In January, France’s ban on PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in consumer products came into force – taking us one step closer to protecting our precious sea life from toxic chemical pollution. There's plenty of other positive news too - so grab a brew and read on. Read the latest positive ocean news A flurry of ocean updates A wide shot of the houses of parliament lit up at dusk. Credit: Luxstorm | Unsplash From water White Papers and the High Seas Treaty to plans for PFAS, it’s been a busy month for policy updates across the UK. If you're struggling to keep up with all the announcements and what they mean for our seas, don't worry, we've got a handy breakdown of the top announcements. Read the policy round-up A light blue star fish lies on top of some seaweed. Text overlaid on top of the image reads: Seas capture more carbon than trees. But only a healthy ocean can combat the climate crisis. Let's restore ocean health together - become a member. Donate Our shop Contact us Unsubscribe The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG.

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — POLITICIANS ARE ALLOWING THE KILLING TO CONTINUE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Hunting News: While politicians argue about 'trail hunting' the killing goes on NOTE THIS post contains GRAPHIC IMAGES FEB 5 READ IN APP January was a bad month for hunting. On 5 January, Emma Reynolds, MP for Wycombe and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - together with Baroness Heyman of Ullock - formally introduced the government’s new Animal Welfare strategy to parliament, which included a commitment to finally introducing a ban on trail hunting as well as criminalisation of the use of snares and a ban on shooting Brown Hares during their breeding season. Increasingly desperate pro-hunt advocates have been busy arguing in parliament and the media that the UK’s hunts are a persecuted law-abiding bunch who are just trying to lawfully trailhunt. We’ve been working hard too, pointing out what a crock of horse manure that all is - check out our rebuttals of their arguments here and here. While all that hot air has been blowing, the cruel reality of hunting has been going on as if nothing was happening. In our first hunting update of 2026, we share several stories that illustrate, once and again, why we need a proper ban to end this bloodsport once and for all. - Mendip Farmers Hunt, South Dorset Hunt and the Portman Hunt all killed foxes this month, documented by sabs and monitors. - A wildlife defender received a written apology from Pytchley with Woodland huntsman Luke Chutter for verbally abusing her. But is it worth the paper it’s written on? - The Flint & Denbigh Hunt caused havoc on the A55 in North Wales AGAIN, letting their hounds run loose on the road. - Finally, a supporter of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale (BSV) Hunt pleaded guilty to assaulting a wildlife defender, bringing the total number of BSV convictions to a shameful fifteen. As parliament dithers foxes are still dying The Labour government has repeatedly promised to ban trail hunting. It made that pledge in its 2024 election manifesto and repeatedly since then. In April last year Labour promised to organise a public consultation on the issue, which was slated for early 2026. It’s nearly February and we are still waiting! Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for the UK’s fox hunts. They are out killing as many foxes as they can, with no more than a token facade of trail hunting. At least three hunts - the Portman, the Mendip Farmers Hunt (MFH) and the South Dorset Hunt (SDH) - have unlawfully killed foxes this month. Two of the killings were captured on camera. Just before the start of the month - on 31 December 2025 - a hiker on Dartmoor was shocked to see a fox ripped up in front of him. The walker told DevonLive that the hunt had chased the fox for nearly an hour before they caught him. Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed that the hunt involved has now been issued with a Community Protection Warning. Killing captured by eye in the sky Mendip Hunt Sabs (MHS) passed on drone footage to the police after their eye in the sky captured crystal clear images of the MFH’s hounds ripping up a vixen on 18 January. Here is an image of the pursuit and a GRAPHIC PHOTO of her mutilated body: The Mendip Farmers Hunt pursuing the vixen. A member of Mendip Hunt Saboteurs cradles the ragged body of a vixen ripped apart by the Mendip Farmers’ Hunts’ hounds - 18 January 2026. A member of Mendip Hunt Saboteurs cradles the ragged body of a vixen ripped apart by the Mendip Farmers’ Hunts’ hounds - 18 January 2026. A member of MHS told Protect the Wild that, unfortunately, the MFH were becoming more and more blatant in terrorising wildlife in the Mendip Hills. They said: “This is not an isolated incident, we have filmed and witnessed persistent and relentless illegal fox hunting from the Mendip Farmers Hunt all season. They have become more brazen as we have filmed multiple incidents of their hounds close behind foxes in recent weeks. Sadly, this culminated in us capturing the brutal death of this young vixen as she was ripped apart by hounds.” Show Quoted Content “This is not an isolated incident, we have filmed and witnessed persistent and relentless illegal fox hunting from the Mendip Farmers Hunt all season. They have become more brazen as we have filmed multiple incidents of their hounds close behind foxes in recent weeks. Sadly, this culminated in us capturing the brutal death of this young vixen as she was ripped apart by hounds.” Later the same month, North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs (NDHS) reported that the Portman had killed again. The group wrote on Facebook: “The terrified animal had no chance struggling across the wet ground and became completely disorientated at the end as their body flooded with toxins from the chase, fatally turning back along the hedge into the path of hounds. There was nothing sabs could do. Convicted huntsman Shaun Marles, dog beater Henry Marshall and recently convicted thief Kieron Fookes were all smiles. Disgusting.” This beautiful fox was killed by the Portman Hunt on 24 January Show Quoted Content “The terrified animal had no chance struggling across the wet ground and became completely disorientated at the end as their body flooded with toxins from the chase, fatally turning back along the hedge into the path of hounds. There was nothing sabs could do. Convicted huntsman Shaun Marles, dog beater Henry Marshall and recently convicted thief Kieron Fookes were all smiles. Disgusting.” This beautiful fox was killed by the Portman Hunt on 24 January The same day, Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR) witnessed the murder of another fox, this time by the South Dorset Hunt. After a brief and performative spell of following a scent, the Hunt began pursuing a fox, caught her and ripped her apart on camera. After WAR filmed the killing, SDH’s new huntsman Keiran Hawkes managed to grab the camera from a sab in an attempt to hide the evidence. Luckily, the brave wildlife defender was able to get it back. Later on, WAR’s sabs were abused and assaulted by Hawkes, a hunt supporter and several riders. They wrote on Facebook: “Shortly [after witnessing the killing of the fox], three female riders approached our sabs incredibly aggressively and after being told that we had filmed the hunt killing a fox, proceeded to whip our sabs around the head and ride aggressively at us using their horses as weapons. Several sabs were head butted by the poor horses. A local elderly man and his wife, very obviously pro-fox hunting, came out to tell us that ‘they keep the countryside clean’. Meanwhile, Keiran Hawkes proceeded to hit another sab over the head with his whip.” Show Quoted Content “Shortly [after witnessing the killing of the fox], three female riders approached our sabs incredibly aggressively and after being told that we had filmed the hunt killing a fox, proceeded to whip our sabs around the head and ride aggressively at us using their horses as weapons. Several sabs were head butted by the poor horses. A local elderly man and his wife, very obviously pro-fox hunting, came out to tell us that ‘they keep the countryside clean’. Meanwhile, Keiran Hawkes proceeded to hit another sab over the head with his whip.” ‘While Parliament dithers and delays, it is business as usual for hunters’ According to Protect the Wild’s Rob Pownall: “While Parliament dithers and delays, it is business as usual for hunters. The law is weak, enforcement is patchy, and animals continue to pay the price.” While politicians argue about the legal loopholes and score political points, it is sabs and monitors who keep taking considerable personal risks to monitor the hunts and save lives. Please consider making 2026 the year you join your local group. Support Weymouth Animal Rights, Mendip Hunt Saboteurs and North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs to carry on protecting our wildlife. Please consider making a donation to support their work. Pytchley huntsman forced to apologise over misogynistic abuse of a wildlife defender Supporters of the Pytchley with Woodland showing the true face of hunting A lone wildlife defender has been monitoring the Pytchley with Woodland (PwW) Hunt for years. As the debate over fox hunting heated up at the end of last year, the Hunt and its supporters have been growing increasingly aggressive. Emma - a member of the public who goes out alone with camera equipment and a drone to monitor the hunt - was subjected to abuse multiple times during November and December. Hunt supporters and terriermen (who are still going out with the hunt in defiance of the British Hounds Sports Association ruling that trail hunts should separate themselves from terrierwork - apparently they didn’t get the memo!) repeatedly flipped her the finger. One hunt member kneeled down in front of her car and performatively laced up his boot to prevent her from keeping up with the pack. Supporters of the Pytchley became car-parking busybodies and experts on trespass, challenging Emma on where she parked her vehicle and where she could walk. All of this, sadly, is pretty routine for UK wildlife defenders. However, when the Pytchley’s huntsman subjected Emma to a particularly foul stream of abuse, she decided to report him to the police. Lewis Chutter, huntsman of the Pytchley with Woodland. Chutter rode past Emma on 15 November. As he sped by, he cursed Emma. She told Protect the Wild: “I was monitoring from the roadside and the hounds were in cry, going across the field, and I was filming them with my camera. Chutter and his Whipper-in George Painter, came cantering along the hedgeline where I was standing, but I was the other side of the hedge. They were in the field. I was on the roadway, and as he went by, he said: “member of the public, you haven’t even got the fucking bollocks to call yourself a sab, c**t!” Show Quoted Content “I was monitoring from the roadside and the hounds were in cry, going across the field, and I was filming them with my camera. Chutter and his Whipper-in George Painter, came cantering along the hedgeline where I was standing, but I was the other side of the hedge. They were in the field. I was on the roadway, and as he went by, he said: “member of the public, you haven’t even got the fucking bollocks to call yourself a sab, c**t!” Emma took this video of the incident on 15 November. Chutter’s words are audible 18 seconds into the footage: This type of misogynist abuse - of course - isn’t a one-off. Emma sent us this image of another Pytchley rider who called her a “miserable c**t”. This little ray of sunshine called a lone wildlife defender a miserable c***t. Emma explained to us how this abuse is intended to discourage her from continuing to monitor the activities of the Pytchley. She said: “I am actively singled out and targeted by the huntsman and his staff along with supporters of the hunt on a regular basis. A meet does not go by without an incident of some sort happening which is directed at me. I am frequently verbally abused, subjected to acts of intimidation and criminal behaviour which is all designed to prevent me from legitimately monitoring and evidence gathering on the criminal conduct of the hunt. Their behaviour and conduct is disgraceful and shameful.” Show Quoted Content “I am actively singled out and targeted by the huntsman and his staff along with supporters of the hunt on a regular basis. A meet does not go by without an incident of some sort happening which is directed at me. I am frequently verbally abused, subjected to acts of intimidation and criminal behaviour which is all designed to prevent me from legitimately monitoring and evidence gathering on the criminal conduct of the hunt. Their behaviour and conduct is disgraceful and shameful.” We asked Emma how it felt to be singled out like this. She said: “It can be very unpleasant and at times frightening, however I will continue to do what I believe to be the right thing for the right reasons, I won’t be bullied into silence by these cowards and will continue to be the voice for our wildlife and expose these people for who they really are”. It’s easy to see how intimidating all of this is. Emma is on her own with just her camera for protection. She has even been informed in the past that police have received intelligence about threats against her by the hunting community. The terriermen she encounters are often masked and unaccountable. Forced to apologise On this occasion, Northamptonshire police chose to do something. They spoke to Chutter about the language he used and he agreed to send a letter, as part of a ‘Community Resolution’, where he said sorry for causing Emma ‘harassment, alarm or distress’ and promised that it won’t happen again. The wording of his letter shows that the police considered he used language capable of breaching Section 5 of the Public Order Act (causing ‘harassment, alarm or distress’). They could have charged Chutter - and probably would have done so if the shoe was on the other foot and he was a sab. Instead, they chose the more lenient Community Resolution approach. Despite the apology, the abuse and intimidation toward Emma from the Pytchley is steadily increasing, not de-escalating. It seems likely that Chutter’s apology isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. To give a couple more examples, a hunt supporter tried to grab Emma’s camera in order to stop her filming on 27 December last year. Chutter’s wife, Lizzy, regularly gives Emma the middle finger too. More people flipping the bird, this time masked terriermen out with the Pytchley in a quad This is by no means the first time that Emma has had to report intimidatory behaviour to the police in the course of keeping an eye on the local hunts. It’s clear that Emma’s monitoring work is vital. As Protect the Wild has previously reported, the Pytchley have been the subject of multiple police complaints since 2022 over illegal hunting. As the government’s promised ‘trail hunting’ consultation looms closer, we can expect more and more intimidation and violence from hunts. If you’ve been affected by violence and abuse from the hunt it can help to get mental health support. Protect the Wild is funding a trained counsellor who can provide sessions to sabs. Click here to find out more. Check out our Protectors of the Wild page on ‘Assaults and the Law’. Hound havoc on the A55, AGAIN The Flint & Denbigh Hunt in North Wales let their hounds loose on a busy road yet again. The hunt also caused controversy back in 2024 when North Wales Hunt Sabs filmed them causing havoc on the A548. The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) posted on Facebook: “On the A55 in North Wales yesterday, the scene of previous accidents caused by out of control hounds belonging to the Flint & Denbigh Hunt who were hunting on the adjoining Kinmel Estate. Numerous fleeing deer were also seen.” The incident was reported to the local police by road users. The HSA quipped, “Did they lay a trail across a 70 mph dual carriageway?” The Flint & Denbigh are no strangers to the headlines, in 2021 The Mirror reported on one of their riders punching a horse after he failed to make a jump. Hunt havoc on the roads is a nationwide problem Hunts causing havoc on the roads isn’t confined to North Wales. Late last year, following reports from hunt saboteurs, wildlife monitors and members of the public, Lincolnshire Police decided to advise hunters who cause problems on the highways to take road safety courses. Lincolnshire Police told the BBC that they had made their decision after their officers had witnessed “horrendously dangerous behaviour” from local hunt groups. They also said they were receiving an “increasing number of road safety complaints” from the public about fox hunts. Meanwhile, in December 2025 in Yorkshire, panic broke out in late November as a riderless hunting horse ran out of control across a busy highway. The chaos hunts regularly unleash on UK roads is just another sign of how little they care about local communities. Find out more by visiting hunthavoc.info. Yet another conviction for the notorious Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt Kieron Fookes of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt - convicted of theft. The Blackmore and Sparkford Vale (BSV) criminal gang totted up another conviction on 22 January, when Kieron Fookes pleaded guilty to theft of a hunt sab’s radio. This was the 15th time a member of the BSV has been convicted of an offence. The case arose out of an incident at Pulham in December 2023 when a lone sab was surrounded by five hunt supporters. Fookes snatched her radio from behind, so the theft wasn’t captured on her bodycam. Fortunately, Fookes’ comrades videoed it themselves. North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs (NDHS) wrote: “thankfully the morons were all filming themselves and had no qualms handing over the evidence to clear their own names and place the blame squarely on Fookes! Fookes’ laughable defence was that he hadn’t stolen the radio, and the sab had randomly punched him in the balls (ew) in some sort of weird backwards swing and he was clutching his painful nuts and defending himself, not holding onto the stolen radio!” Show Quoted Content “thankfully the morons were all filming themselves and had no qualms handing over the evidence to clear their own names and place the blame squarely on Fookes! Fookes’ laughable defence was that he hadn’t stolen the radio, and the sab had randomly punched him in the balls (ew) in some sort of weird backwards swing and he was clutching his painful nuts and defending himself, not holding onto the stolen radio!” Bournemouth Crown Court fined Fookes a trifling £100 and he was ordered to pay £30 compensation for the radio. The theft occurred as part of the same incident that eventually led to the BSV’s Charlie Mayo and Kieron Bashford being convicted of Wilful Obstruction of the Highway after obstructing a wildlife defender who was trying to protect a fox. The BSV’s other criminal convictions include: assault, driving without due care and attention, actual bodily harm, assault by beating (including, on one occasion, for spraying urine at someone) and - of course - multiple convictions for illegally hunting a fox with hounds. But their criminal records don’t really do justice to quite what a menace the BSV are to wildlife and the public at large. Here are a few more examples: During the 2023/24 hunting season, the BSV accounted for a massive 12.83% of total reported fox chases and kills in the UK. In March 2025, a member of the BSV was filmed threatening a council worker with a spade while causing havoc on the road. Dorset Police Rural Crime Team said that it was investigating two reports of illegal hunting by the BSV in February 2025. In February 2025, police were called after a BSV member rode into a sab from NDHS while in pursuit of a fox. In 2024, Dorset Police arrested two members of the BSV over attacks on sabs from NDHS. One man was charged with assault and theft. The arrests are thought to relate to an assault on two female sabs by three masked men in October 2023. On that occasion, the women were pushed and shoved, and their cameras were stolen. This assault was followed by attacks on the homes and vehicles of several activists. In August 2023, the BSV was filmed allowing its hounds to kill a fox, and then tear up her corpse. BSV members didn’t intervene at any point. Also in August 2023, the Hunt was caught blatantly cubbing (trapping and killing young fox cubs). In 2020, a monitor from Somerset Wildlife Crime was deliberately knocked down by another member of the BSV. In 2014, the BSV’s Mark Dogrell trampled hunt saboteur Nid Warren with his horse, leaving her with serious injuries. In 2025, the Hound Sports Regulation Authority (HSRA), the regulatory arm of the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), published the results of the disciplinary against the BSV for the 2024 killing of a fox in a residential garden at Pelsham farm. The incident had provoked mainstream media headlines and public outrage. Surprise, surprise... The BSV were given a mild telling off from the HSRA and allowed to keep on hunting, carry on terrorising foxes and menacing communities. We need a real ban on hunting with hounds to stop the BSV. Until then its up to us to sabotage their cruel sport. Sign our petition calling for a proper ban on hunting, and check out our proposal for a proper ban on the hunting of mammals with hounds. Use Protect the Wild’s automated tool to email your MP and demand that they ensure that Labour follows through with enacting a proper ban on hunting. Protect the Wild has supported several groups to keep exposing the BSV through our Equipment Fund. You can donate to the fund here. Finally, please donate what you can to support the work of North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs. Images and footage of the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt courtesy of Emma, a local wildlife defender. Images of the Mendip Farmers Hunt giving chase and the dead vixen via Mendip Hunt Sabs, video of the South Dorset Hunt ripping up a fox courtesy of Weymouth Animal Rights. Image of Kieron Fookes via North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs. Many thanks to all the groups who provided us with images or video. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing