Hunt warns rural communities face ‘travesty’ if Boxing Day meet banned

A HUNT has said it will be a “travesty” for rural communities if Leeds City Council chiefs put a stop to its annual Boxing Day meet in Aberford.

The League Against Cruel Sports has written to council leader Judith Blake, urging the local authority to withdraw permission for Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt to use any of the land under its jurisdiction.

It claimed that a fox and deer were chased across the countryside by hounds under control of the hunt on November 24 – one of 151 examples of illegal hunting reported to the League since the hunting season opened on November 1.

Concerns were also raised about large groups of hunt riders and hounds creating a health and safety hazard when they met.

Responding to the allegations, a hunt spokesman said yesterday: “The Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt operates within the law to comply with the Hunting Act 2004. However, it is one of many hunts that are regularly subjected to spurious allegations regarding their legal hunting activities.

“Health and safety is of the upmost importance to the hunt and arrangements are always put in place to enable our activities to be conducted in a safe, legal and sensible way.

“The Boxing Day meet is such a special day for the rural community that it would be a travesty if the city council were pressurised to cancel this popular festive event.”

A council spokesman had previously said it would respond to the letter in due course.