The hunts do seem to believe themselves above the law and action needs to be taken to stop them letting their dogs wander all over highways, fouling footpaths, and causing drivers to take evasaive action to avoid large numbers of dogs in the road.

I have the misfortune to drive along part of the route used by the South Shropshire hunt for exercising their dogs, and often meet a pack of hounds spread out across the (fast main) road with nobody having any real control over them. There is supposed to be a Dog Control order in the area meaning dogs should be on leads on public highways but that is flouted by the hunt. Try to get past the dogs so you can get to work and you get abuse – I dread to think what would happen should they meet an emergency vehicle. The dogs are also allowed to wander up people’s drives and foul on their gardens – if I let a dog do that I’d be lynched, let alone fined.

As for the car followers, they seem to be under the impression that the Highway Code is for everyone else, not them. They block country lanes, drive at high speed down single track lanes with no regard for other road users – including horse riders who aren’t part of the hunt – and shout abuse at anyone who won’t get out of their way. They seem unaware of the use of passing spaces, let alone the need to drive carefully.

The arrogance of the hunting community has to be seen to be believed – it’s a wonder there aren’t accidents on the roads when the hunt is around, I do wonder how many near misses are covered up or reported to the police but not investigated.

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The arrogance of the hunting fraternity never ceases to amaze me. Having been a sab on many hunts over many years, I know the kind of attitude facing normal law abiding citizens. I have said it before and say it again Hunting is a Class thing, if a group of people signing on where to chase foxes for a living it would be deemed outrageous and actually banned, not a pretend ban like we have in place now!

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Bearing in mind that they are supposed to be following a trail, if they’re sticking to the law, then it does make you wonder how they think a major route is a suitabe place for laying a trail.

We can but hope that, if they were indeed chasing a fox (and breaking the law) that there were enough witnesses about to get this investigated and arrests made. Or are the police not interested in people who are breaking this particular law?

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Again and again hunting is banned and yet we have people prattling on this site as though it is still happening where is you proof where are the proscutions . It seems to me the antis have lost their sport of hunting the hunter/follower so must maek it up as they go along it is all very boreing and all based on what they think is going to happen not what does happen , remember they are permitted to flush with two hounds to a waiting gun all the hunts in the uk abide by the law of the land as it stands if they do not prosecute produce evidence or shut up.

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oh peter “arrogance on behalf of the red-coated buffoons” sweeping staements again,
“irresponsible behaviour by dogs” peter gets better and better

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1st off to all replays so far resorting to name calling does not solve any issues for either side.

With regards to the issue in hand I agree with Mr Finchley. On all occassions I have followed the North Shropshire Hunt, they are courteous of other road users.
If you started berating them first, I see no reason for them not giving it back!!

Were you drinving at the legal speed limit? Did you apporach the bend with due caution in anticipation of what might be on the other side?

As for Dee’s comments… admitting to being a sab is not to be proud of!! Actions of ‘sabs’ have resulted in injuries of animals and people and not so long ago the death of of a hunt supporter following the actions of a ‘sab’.

To exclude Hunt followers as not being law abiding citizens is also wrong.
If they were breaking the law, they would be prosecuted accordingly, same as any law breaker.

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This letter and many of these comments just reflect the small mindedness that people have in relation to hunting. I can ASSURE you that the perception that people seem to have of the hunt being a ‘bunch of snobs on horseback’ is a complete and utter farce. Many people with horses slog their guts out to afford to keep their horses out of pure love of riding and dedication, including myself!!! These points of view infuriate me beyond belief. People who make such comments have absolutely no understanding of hunting or countrylife. Maybe they should attend a hunt meet and witness what a nice, friendly bunch of people the hunting fraternity are, who are doing everything possible to maintain a good reputation at present, including POLITENESS and COURTESY to other road users in most cases.

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@ Former Salopian

Full agreement with you!!

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Hunting, including blocking earths, is certainly still going on but try to get proof of it and you’re likely to get beaten up.

My longer comment has been modded out, basically saying that the hunts break the law as it suits them.

It’s nothing to do with urban dwellers v country people, I live in the country and know very few people who are pro hunting.

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PAM – VERY VERY PROUD

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” Exchanging abuse… I berated them forcefully…”

Oh. Acting in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace, where you? But that doesn’t matter, as you were in the right!

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as a regular lorry driver along the A41 can’t wait to see our irish and foreign mates with their new road kill festooning the front of their trucks.i’ve met these wallies on this road they only think of themselves and not what carnage they could cause. look at the roads record for death and serious injuries we do not need these people to make it worse.

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Aimed at comment 15.
If your going so fast that you cannot stop in due course then you must be driving too fast for the conditions.
What if there was a car broken down around the corner? Your argument is flawed all the way through.

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dee i have encountered all what you have said on a road i travel on a regular basis never have had a problem with the hunt or hounds always very polite ssh/nsh/etc etc and i doubt any one is abused insulted etc etc , however you cant expect to shout abuse at people and not expect a mouthfull back.
I infact remember the boxing day meet at longdon pub, horses etc in the pub carpark so were followers and general public who had turned out and along comes some bloke in his car his wife driving as he sits in the passenger seat shouting foul language giving hand gestures etc etc all while his baby and young child sat in the back looking totaly bewildered what had caused their father to behave like some type of yobbo.
As for the issue hunting still goes on yes it does (within the law) i will not call you mate dee as i do not know you and you are not my mate however lets see the proof? where is it?? not excuses but proof?? give the proof to the police it is their duty to investigate and they will, no makeing excuses by saying they do not investigate if that is the case how many complaints have been made to the police complaints dept??? how many was that??? as i thought all fabricated rubbish .
As i have said in the past many thought the end of fox hunting as was would stop any killing of the fox it has not more die now than ever before what you should ie the antis have campaigned for was to get the fox removed from the vermin list .

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andrew Finch,
your comments are totally and utterly ridiculous and indeed moronic
Also as stated above there are LAWS in this country which seem to be continually flouted by the Hunting fraternity and not properly persued (in my opinion as well as others) by the relevent authorities.As a lifelong countyside resident and former exponent as well as persuant of the countryside vermin control lifestyle (working on land including estate owned by lord litchfield and much or shropshire and its bordering welsh countryside) i can honestly say that the hunt and nearly all its followers are in total disregard for anything that gets in the way of their “FUN”.I am going to assume that you either are part of this “set” or are totally misguided as to their conduct.Having witnessed 1st hand their utter contempt for normal behaviour in public places(the type that would see anyone else in trouble with the law) i can honestly confirm that these are indeed people of profound mental retardation living in a world that is nowadays only found in the likes of Blists hill.
the law is the law and as such should be adhered to by all, at all times!
the behaviour of these people is on a level with the “boy racer group”and is therfore unacceptable,by way of, one speeds around on our roads with disregard for speed restictions,Hazardous areas,warnings,other road users etc and one rides a horses and leads packs of dogs(or follows behind in a vehicle) wherever they like in the assumption that everyone else MUST give way to them as they are far far superior!
For example,if a member of the public was to walk their dog unleashed along a public road and it was to chase a rabbit (or suchlike) across the highway causing an accident (or damage to property) then that person would be prosecuted !
and if it was to be you on the recieving end then im positive you would be insisting the law was upheld to its full extent !

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So much of what has been written here is very ill informed and I think it is a real shame that this country has gone so far in losing touch with its rural roots. Complaints about hounds using roads to exercise and/or during hunting are a reflection of exactly this problem. It is as if people believe that roads, especially main roads, are sacrosanct for motor vehicles and that animals should have no place on them whatsoever. Well, the countryside is far older than the most ancient of cars, and hunting similarly so. Hounds have run over that land for generations, long before articulated lorries were even dreamt of.

Of course, this does not mean that it is a good idea for hunts to run across or around main roads. It is dangerous, and believe me, no one worries more about it than those who follow hounds. We all do our best to avoid these situations, but the real problem is not the intrusion of hunting on our transport infrastructure, but the ever budgeoning dominance of that infrastructure over everything else. The countryside is not what it once was, it is overrun with traffic. Just please try and understand that the vast majority of hunting people (excepting a few idiots) are responsible, and are doing their best to continue an ancient and deeply rural way of life in a busy, hi – speed focused world. We do not aim to cause accidents or upset people, but the ever growing dominance of vehicles in our countryside makes things very difficult.

I witnessed the event in question, and the man who wrote the letter drove quickly past horses and hounds and beeped his horn aggressively. The hounds WERE under control and were being removed from the road ASAP. By acting in such an arrogant way this person was actually the only one in danger of causing an accident, by spooking the horses. Far from the concern for safety which he suggests in his letter, I argue he showed mere intolerance and contempt, and I hope he feels ashamed.

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Andrew,

Just how far in denial are you? I saw the incident I decribed with my own eyes.

There were horses and dogs all across the road, on a near blind bend, on a national speed limit road.

Those supposedly in charge had lost all control of their animals, and for a few moments there was chaos. If a fast moving vehicle had approached – especially a large vehicle, there would have been a serious accident. I would suggest it was hardly worth the risk on order to chase a defenceless animal about the countryside, and was downright irresponsible behaviour.

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Selfemployed business have ran own business for 3 years prior to that 17 years with the same employ er not on benefits business doing ok and pop in to the ss site through the day on the old lap top. And was a labour voter now float between tory/ukip hope that helps

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Eva,

I didn’t say anything about the industrial revolution or anything like that, but it is certainly the case that the country has gone from being predominantly rural to predominantly urban. That is why I spoke about ‘roots’. That has nothing to do with whether people ‘survive by living in groups’ or not. ‘Groups’ exist in the country as well as towns – you mention villages. Hunting brings people together in all sorts of ways as well, and encourages mutual co operation and interdependency, so I would argue in a way you are making my point for me.

Fine if you work in cities and live in the country, but if most of your life is focused on urban activities (i.e. your weekend takes the form of shopping, football, whatever), you probably do not have a great grasp of the subtleties of country life.

As for: ‘Is it those who live without cars, internet, telecomomunications….etc’, of course I am not talking about that, now you are being facetious. Very few live without those and I wouldn’t argue they should do. But in keeping horses and hounds – and yes, growing and killing their own food in many cases, they are continuing to live in a manner that harks way back to even pre – industrial eras. It isn’t anachronistic either, its just an appreciation of the true finer things in life, the essence of what makes us human.

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Regards Point 19 – in a dry way I was implying that Irish Truckers and Fools in Red have something in common regarding their attitude to the law! Look if you guys want to indulge your ancient blood lust please do it away from busy roads, golf courses where I once witnessed the Hunt riding roughshod over manicured greens and away from pet dogs and cats – a neighbour had hounds pursue his small pet dog into his house and up the stairs! The hunt were on the way to the Meet at a local hostelry. I really don’t believe these hounds are capable of tight control once they are on the scent of a kill. The A41 is dangerous enough without any extra hazards!

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HARRY GRANT – hit the nail on the head “The A41 is dangerous enough without any extra hazards!” exactly, whether hunt related animals on that road or otherwise, a hazard we could all do without. I grew up in Hinstock and the section of road from Newport to Hinstock we used to call Death road as thats all that happened on that road, accidents and loss of life.

PAM….dear, Jill Phipps was a protester and relates to the conversation we had? plain as day to me!

Fox hunting may be traditional but as Spencer said so was witch hunting, and slavery! Ripping an animal to pieces (any animal) ANY form of animal cruelty for sport or entertainment to me is just BACKWARD

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“If so, perhaps we ought to think about banning hunting by statute.”

Fox hunting with hounds (along with hare coursing) has been banned by statute, but these perverted people are claiming on the one hand that it shouldn’t be banned by statute and/or that the statute is ‘unworkable’ and/or that they are suffering ‘hardship’ from the workings of the statute. Well, let’s ensure that the statute is made more workable by strengthening it, not repealing it.

We British led the way in banning the slave trade and in banning slavery in the Empire, we led the way in banning bear baiting and cock fighting, and we led the way in banning hunting and hare coursing. We must continue to make progress and not let our civilisation take a backward step.

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The hunting issue is a class division just ask Tarquine and Lucinda:-)
Dog fighting and the breeding of dangerous dogs is illigal and so it should be – it is a vile practice carried out by ignorant savages
Fox Hunters see themselves as different (right school don’t ya know) and that fox hunting is acceptable (though I contend that the participants are also vile savages) – Why? its a class issue – dog fighting is associated with council estates and fox hunting with country estates. Both activities involve cruel and sensless killing of animals – go figure !

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The A41 isn’t a trunk road

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@ Craig, If you know this county so well then get your horses off the A41 before someone gets killed………..there, problem sorted.

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I wonder what the reaction would have been had the guy actually hit and ran over several of the hounds, no doubts the pro hunt lobby would claim it as an act of sabotage.

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I know the countryside very well Craig, I come from a farming background, but I don’t agree with fox hunting. It’s a very cruel way to control the fox population and from a farmers point of view it causes damage and frightens livestock.

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So we’ve moved on from who stands for tradition and knowledge of the countryside and the morality of killing an animal for sport to who is an expert on discussion manipulation.

I am surprised at your contribution because compared to speeding on the roads, the BNP and dog mess, subjects which elicit huge responses,this debate has been thoughtful and constructive.
Your comment is so vague and disingenuous it probably wasn’t worth commenting on really.

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@ 55, As an impartial observer you could have at least noticed that nobody called Chris has actually contributed to this thread, But i hope that elevating yourself to the pretence of a higher level of intelligence made you feel good about yourself for a little while.

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