HUNTSMEN who brandished the carcasses of foxes in defiance of the ban on hunting were attacked yesterday for their “triumphalism”.
Anti-hunt campaigners were confident that there would be prosecutions for the unlawful killing of some of these trophy foxes. But Michael Foster, Labour MP for Worcester, who first tried to introduce a ban eight years ago, denounced the parade of dead foxes as a PR stunt by the Countryside Alliance and felt his campaign to ban the use of dogs to kill foxes had been vindicated.
Huntspeople, however, are threatening to step up their actions to expose what they believe are absurd new laws. They intend to test the wording of the legislation even if it exasperates the police.
Mr Foster told The Times: “What we saw on Saturday is that hunts can still have the pomp, the pageantry and the social side of the event without dogs killing foxes.”
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But he attacked the “clever but cynical ploy” by hunt supporters. “It was just a PR stunt. We have never said foxes should not be controlled, we just wanted them killed in the most humane way.”
He also ridiculed the tactic of the philosopher Roger Scruton, who organised a mouse hunt at his West Country home.
“People cannot seriously believe there is going to be a switch to mouse hunting instead of foxhunting,” he said. “That is a nonsense and no one should take these stunts seriously.”
Alun Michael, the Rural Affairs Minister, called on huntspeople to obey the new law and appealed to them not to waste police time by testing it. He said: “I think many people will be shocked by the triumphalism depicted by some, but again the question is whether they are obeying the law and whether their behaviour is wise. If some foxes were killed illegally, it will become obvious over time.”
It is clear, however, that anti-hunt campaigners are dismayed by the lack of interest in the new laws by police. Adrian Whiting, the Assistant Chief Constable for the Dorset force, said yesterday that illegal hunting was much less important than letting off a firework after 11pm. The low priority given to hunting by police has also alarmed the Alliance. Simon Hart, its chief executive, fears that police will rely on “vigilante groups” and has written to Nigel Yeo, Assistant Chief Constable in Sussex, who heads the public order working group for the Association of Chief Police Officers.
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The League Against Cruel Sports has received many calls from people willing to check that hunts stay within the law. Mike Hobday, its spokesman, said: “We’ve been getting 20 calls a day and are going to set up some training days to make sure we can keep close surveillance of all hunts next season.”
The Alliance will petition the law lords early this week and urge them to accept an appeal over the validity of the ban. Hunt supporters are also still hoping that Lord Goldsmith, QC, the Attorney-General, will delay prosecutions while legal challenges continue.