Appeal for hunting ban on its biggest day of the year

CAMPAIGNERS have repeated calls for fox hunting to be outlawed completely as Boxing Day meetings are taking place across the country.

As hunts in Scotland prepare for two of the biggest dates in the hunting calendar – Boxing Day and New Year’s Day – the League Against Cruel Sports renewed calls for the Scottish Government to close loopholes in the law before next year’s hunting season starts in November.

It comes after a review into hunting in Scotland by Lord Bonomy, published in November, found considerable law-breaking by hunts despite the current ban.

Robbie Marsland, the director of the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland said: “The ball is now firmly in the Scottish Government’s court. Public opinion in Scotland wants to see fox hunting banned, the Government thought they had banned it but as our evidence, Lord Bonomy and Police Scotland have revealed, hunts are running a coach and horses through the current legislation.

“In short, the law isn’t fit for purpose and, in keeping with the commitments made by the First Minister to strengthen the law if it were necessary, we look to the Government to do that by November 2017 – in time to stop next year’s hunting season.”

Video evidence has shown mounted hunts still using hounds to run down and kill foxes despite laws passed in 2002 by the Scottish Parliament to outlaw the practice.

The Scottish Government previously said it will consider Lord Bonomy’s report and put proposed changes out to consultation next year.