Hunt groups ‘will be out on Boxing Day despite bans’

EVERY hunt in the country will come out on Boxing Day, the head of the Countryside Alliance has vowed, in the face of bans imposed by the National Trust and Forestry England.

Tim Bonner was defiant after the National Trust yesterday said it would suspend licences for trail hunting on its properties after hunting backers were heard in a leaked webinar discussing how to create a “smokescreen” for their activities.

Mr Bonner said those hunts affected by the suspension would simply move their activities elsewhere. “As long as the weather is not awful, every hunt in the country will be out on Boxing Day,” he said.

Mr Bonner said he anticipated groups being able to meet outside under new tier restrictions. Since hunting mammals with dogs was outlawed in 2005, hunting groups have pivoted to “trail laying” activities, during which they lay a scent for hounds to follow.

Anti-hunting groups say trail laying is merely a cover for foxhunting groups to continue their activities. In leaked footage of a webinar organised by the sport’s governing body, the Hunting Office, people are seen discussing how to avoid hunt saboteurs and police.

One participant can be heard saying “It’s a lot easier to create a smokescreen if you’ve got more than one trail layer operating,” before adding: “And that is what it’s all about, trying to portray to the people watching that you’re going about your legitimate business.”

The Hunting Office yesterday said: “The purpose of the webinars... was very clearly to facilitate legal hunting and any allegation that they were organised for any other purpose is completely incorrect.”