A north Lakes resident has alleged that hunt packs are continuing to illegally trespass on National Trust and private land but the conservation charity and the police are not acting on reports.
Billy Bland, a member of Cumbria Hunt Watch, raised his concerns at the recent meeting of Borrowdale Parish Council and he has been backed up by anti-hunt activists.
The meeting was told that the trust has confirmed to Mr Bland that the advice given to staff is not to confront or chase the packs. It was also claimed that in a recent incident the trust did not ring the police when an incident had been reported to them.
It was noted that there was a hunt in Borrowdale on November 28 and the hounds were witnessed at Honister Mine.
The meeting agreed that the clerk should research if there is a forum for National Trust members on which the lack of action relating to hunting could be shared. The clerk is also to raise concerns once again with the trust and ask for a formal response on what action the charity is taking.
And during the meeting a member of the public raised concerns that Cumbria police appear to be taking disproportionate action against saboteurs but not against illegal hunts.
The clerk will also raise these concerns with Peter McCall, Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner and the Deputy Chief Constable of Cumbria Police, Rob Carden, to ask what they are doing to act against illegal hunting in the county.
Speaking to the Reminder after the meeting, Mr Bland said: “The hunts are getting away with it. They (the police) are the ones that we pay to uphold the law but they are not doing it.
“We have had meetings with the police but none of us have any faith whatsoever with the rural crime team. They said to me that they were going to put out an appeal to the public about hunting but they have not done so.
“We have asked for a meeting with the assistant chief constable but have not yet had a response. We are not satisfied with the police response.”
He said that a group of landowners around Lorton and Loweswater had clubbed together £900 in funds to get a solicitor to pen a letter to the trust and the Forestry Commission highlighting what is happening on their land. “They (the National Trust) should be joining this group but for some reason they are not. There is something odd there.”
Anti-hunt activist Annette Charlton of Fox Net Cumbria told the Reminder that she knows of a number of private landowners who are really struggling with trespass by fell packs and horse and hounds.
She claimed that the police choose to ignore fox hunting or show little interest, often claiming that there is no case to answer.
“We have an illegal activity that is organised and controlled that benefits those involved at a cost to wildlife and decent folk,” she said. “My heart goes out to landowners. I have watched hunts going about their business for many a year. As have many more, for longer. It is at its worst nowadays.”
Fox hunting is banned and the National Trust stopped issuing licences for trail hunts on its land in 2021. Trail hunting is legal and sees dogs and riders follow an artificial scent along an agreed route.
Police say that they are currently carrying out enquiries following a report of alleged hare hunting by three people on December 10 at the top of Catbells.
“Officers received the report and patrols were deployed to carry out initial enquiries,” said a police spokesman. “The case was subsequently picked up by the local community beat officer.”
The police spokesman added that the force takes all reports of wildlife crime seriously and anyone who can help the inquiry can contact officers on 101.
He added that the Cumbria Rural Crime Team is committed to preventing and disrupting rural crime and reviews every report made in line with its ongoing Operation Lantern and has registered some good results in the two months it has been set up including recovering more than £80,000-worth of stolen property. It has built up more than 2,100 followers on social media – ensuring more widespread engagement with the community.
A spokesperson for The National Trust said: “The National Trust no longer issues licences for any trail hunting activities of any kind, including the exercising of hounds. Fox hunting is illegal and we take any reports of trespass and/or illegal activity on National Trust land seriously.
“We carefully assess all information we receive, and consider all options available to us as a charity. We will take action where appropriate and continue to work with our partners in the police to ensure incidents of illegal activity are robustly investigated. We are not able to comment on the outcome of any reported incidents.”
