FIRST BRITON FOUND GUILTY

Reuters

London: A huntsman from southwest England on Friday became the first to be found guilty of breaking a ban, on the centuries-old custom of chasing foxes with hounds.

Tony Wright was convicted at Barnstaple Magistrates Court of breaking the law, which came into force in England and Wales last year after years of angry debate in parliament that brought country gentry to London for demonstrations.

Wright was fined £500 (Dh3,325) for breaking the law, after a private prosecution was brought by the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) campaign group, which secretly filmed him leading huntsmen out with the foxhounds in April last year.

"The Hunting Act is a stupid law, and a pointless law and we will keep our hunts going until it is repealed," he told reporters after the verdict, adding he planned to appeal. "I think it's a just a very bad job what's happened today."

The ban outlaws a sport that began with the restoration of King Charles II in 1660, but which animal rights campaigners now say is cruel.

Media reports said the prosecution cost the campaigners £65,000 (Dh432,250) after the police decided not to pursue the case.

"The chasing of the foxes we saw taking place on video was against the law," Mike Hobday, the LACS's head of public affairs, told Sky News.

"What the court said is that the huntsman was chasing foxes with his hounds. And parliament has deemed that activity to be cruel and said it is illegal."

Hunters say the law is unclear. It bans chasing foxes with hounds which traditionally kill the fox at the end of the hunt but hunters say they believe it allows them to "exercise" their dogs, flush out foxes, and shoot them.

"No right minded person thinks that Tony Wright should have been branded a criminal," said Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance.

"If people were confused about the Hunting Act before today they will be a lot more confused now. We believe that he was trying to comply with the law as he understood it and will be supporting his appeal."

Wright said he had been out with two hounds and a marksman who shot a fox, which he thought complied with the law.

"I was doing my best to follow the rules as it is written down. I might have been found guilty but I certainly don't feel like a criminal."

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