Gloucestershire has been identified by animal welfare campaigners as the worst county in England and Wales for banned fox hunting activities. This revelation comes despite the longstanding legal ban on fox hunting.
New data from the League Against Cruel Sports, a national animal welfare charity, shows that during the latest fox hunting and cub hunting seasons—which concluded at the end of March—a total of 488 foxes were observed being chased across England and Wales. More than half of these incidents occurred in the West Country, with 234 foxes targeted.
Gloucestershire recorded the highest number of incidents, with 75 reported cases, followed by Dorset with 61, Somerset with 55, and Devon with 36. Overall, hunts in the West Country accounted for 552 incidents of what the League describes as “hunt havoc,” comprising 45% of the national total of 1,220 incidents during that period. Hunt havoc includes trespassing, chasing other wildlife such as deer, causing livestock distress, and hounds roaming onto railway lines and roads, leading to accidents.
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The figures were released alongside a government consultation on banning trail hunting, a practice often seen as a cover for illegal fox hunting.
Emma Slawinski, Chief Executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, stated, “These alarming figures demonstrate that fox hunting remains widespread in the West Country despite the ban, underscoring the urgent need for stronger legislation. The public now has an opportunity to help end fox hunting by participating in the government’s consultation on banning trail hunting.”
The Gloucestershire-based Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt was singled out as the worst individual hunt, reportedly chasing 44 foxes and involved in 70 incidents of hunt havoc.
The Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt responded to these claims through Jim Barrington, former Executive Director of the League Against Cruel Sports, who challenged the accuracy of the data. He asserted that the League’s statistics are based on unverified reports from biased activists, warning that such claims risk prompting harmful policies against rural communities. Barrington emphasized that since the Hunting Act’s introduction 20 years ago, there have been over 250,000 days of lawful hunting and only about 50 convictions for registered hunts. According to him, the police prosecute illegal hunting when there is clear evidence, and the vast majority of hunts comply with the law.
Gloucestershire Police have also been contacted for comment.