“This is an illegal barbaric sport that needs to end, should have ended in 2004”, the League Against Cruel Sports tells Channel 4 News

Their new figures, shared with us exclusively, suggest 526 incidents of suspected illegal fox hunting took place in the 2022-2023 hunting season

Data from League Against Cruel Sports suggests, despite being made illegal in 2004, hunting foxes continues.

In 2022-23, there were 400 reported sightings of foxes being actively chased - with Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset accused of being the worst offending counties.

Out of all the hunts in England and Wales, 72% are accused by campaigners of acting illegally or causing ‘havoc’.

This would involve trespassing, running across roads and railways, interfering with badger setts or harming other animals, and causing distress to the public.

The British Hound Sports Association said: “This is yet another attempt by anti-hunt groups to create a false impression that hunts are not operating legally”.

It “once again demonstrates that a small but vocal minority of anti-hunt activists are wasting police time.”

'Our very starting point was close the loopholes of the past.'

Meanwhile, Scotland is cracking down on illegal hunting and implemented the new Act which reduces the number of dogs that you can use down to two, and bans trail hunting.

'We as taxpayers are funding essentially bloodsports.”

In England and Wales the legal act of trail hunting continues- in some places even on government-owned land and in one instance bankrolled by the public purse.

In response to the numbers exposed, the Government said: “Any offences under the hunting act should be reported and anyone found guilty would feel the full force of the law.”

Watch the full report by alex thomson now on Channel 4 News.

Watch the full report here: channel4.com/news/526-incid…