There has been criticism of the ‘knee-jerk’ decisions made in relation to trail hunting by organisations following the successful appeal of a prominent huntsman.
The Lake District National Park Authority was one of a series of bodies to suspend the activity on its land amid the police probe that led to the conviction of Mark Hankinson last year.
This suspension was made indefinite in May. Mr Hankinson was found guilty in October 2021 of suggesting trail hunting be used as a ‘smokescreen’ for illegal activity in a webinar.
But Judge Gregory Perrins, speaking at Southwark Crown Court in London last week, said he and the magistrates were not satisfied to the criminal standard that it was Hankinson’s intention to encourage illegal hunting. Judge Perrins allowed the appeal against the conviction.
He also highlighted a second webinar in which nothing Hankinson said was subject to any charge.
Trail hunting is restricted by law to exercising hounds and having them follow artificial scents or ‘trails’. However, there exist concerns that the activity is used by some as a cover for fox hunting, which is illegal.
A spokesman for The British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) said the BHSA remained positive that the knee-jerk decisions made by organisations such as the LDNPA would be reviewed.
“Trail hunting continues to be an integral part of the rural community and Mark’s successful appeal is hugely welcomed,” said the spokesman.
The National Trust, Forestry England and United Utilities suspended licences at the same time as the national park authority.
Neil Salisbury, secretary of the Central Committee of Fell Packs, said: “They [organisations] don’t seem to be able to appreciate the place of the fell packs within the social and cultural heritage of the Lake District and the social and cultural heritage of the farming community within the Lake District.”
However, Andy Knott, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “The appeal result changes nothing in terms of our position, because only by strengthening the Hunting Act – by closing its many loopholes and outlawing so-called trail hunting – can illegal hunting be properly stopped and those determined to carry on persecuting wildlife brought to justice.”
An LDNPA spokesman said the authority’s position on trail hunting on its land remained unchanged.
A spokesman for United Utilities said trail hunting would remain suspended on the organisation’s land but that it would ‘continue to review’ the future of the activity.
A Forestry England spokesman said trail hunting on the organisation’s land would remain suspended ‘until our board decides on its future in forests we care for’.
A National Trust spokesman said: “There were many contributing factors in our decision to no longer issue trail hunting activities on National Trust land, including the appropriate use of charitable funds, the risk of reputational harm to the trust and the result of the recent members’ resolution vote on this matter at our October 2021 annual general meeting.
“We will not be reviewing our position on trail hunting as a result of this appeal.”
More than half of the land in the Lake District is privately owned. Less than four per cent is owned by the national park authority, with the rest owned by organisations such as the National Trust.
