Tesco hounded into pulling its foxhunter coat fancy dress line
TESCO has removed a foxhunting fancy dress costume for children from sale after hunt saboteurs complained.
Shoppers complained to the supermarket after spotting the outfit, described as a “red foxhunter jacket”, for children aged seven and older, on the supermarket’s website.
Anti-hunt campaigners said it was “encouraging children to become animal abusers” and was not an appropriate costume for children to dress up in.
But the Countryside Alliance said the supermarket giant had “bowed to intimidation” from activists.
The fancy dress costume appeared online as a Red Foxhunter Jacket Children’s Fancy Dress Costume, with a young boy pictured modelling the clothes available for £10.41.
On the site, it states: “This costume includes a long-sleeved, red, tailcoat-style jacket with a single black button at the front. Fantastic for World Book Day, school shows or just dressing up fun. Please note white T-shirt, trousers and shoes not included.”
Lee Moon, of the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: “This appears to be remarkably poor judgment from Tesco.
“Foxhunting is an illegal, archaic pastime that’s abhorred by the majority of the population. Why
Tesco would think it’s an appropriate fancy dress costume for children is quite beyond us. We look forward to seeing their badger baiting or dog fighting outfit in the near future.”
Outraged opponents said on social media the costume was encouraging children to carry out illegal behaviour.
One compared the costume to a “Harold Shipman” costume “for those who want to be the wrong kind of doctor”. Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs posted on Facebook: “This is just disgusting. Encouraging children to become animal abusers.”
Tim Bonner, Countryside Alliance chief executive, said: “Tesco needs to think carefully about bowing to intimidation from animal rights activists. “From the hundreds of pubs named for huntsmen, hounds and foxes to the ‘whips’ in the House of Commons it is simply impossible to eradicate hunting from British life.
“There will be hundreds of children out hunting this Saturday as many hunts come to the end of their season. They will not have brought their coats from Tesco, but they will be taking part in a thriving, legal pastime which is indelibly written into British culture and its countryside.” Foxhunting with dogs has been illegal in the UK since a law was passed in 2004 by the Labour government. Anyone who breaks the law can be fined up to £5,000.
Hunts are allowed to go ahead in some circumstances, for example if hunters follow a scent instead of a live fox.
The red hunting jacket is traditionally worn by hunt staff or long-standing hunters who have been awarded a “hunt button” in recognition of their experience, skill and helpfulness in the field.
It is normally only worn by men, with women continuing to wear a dark coloured coat once awarded their button. Tesco quickly pulled the costume following the outrage, and said it had been placed on the site by a third-party vendor.
It said the costume was “from one of our partners that use our website to sell their products” and added: “We’ve listened to customers and have immediately removed this product from sale.”