A conservation charity is seeking legal advice and considering its next steps over an alleged incident of fox hunting trespass at one of its reserves.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT) has responded to reports from members of the public and on social media that huntsmen from the Blencathra Foxhounds were “all over” the Eycott Hill nature reserve, just off the A66 between Keswick and Penrith, on Sunday February 18.
“Fox hunting isn’t allowed on any of Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves,” said Joe Murphy, head of nature reserves at CWT. “We’ve written to hunts across Cumbria to ask them to stop trespassing on our nature reserves but we are largely ignored.
“We’ve been in touch with the Blencathra Foxhounds on numerous occasions previously, to ask them not to hunt across Eycott Hill Nature Reserve, but they apparently still went ahead and crossed this nature reserve on Sunday.
“We’re taking legal advice and considering our next steps. We also ask all visitors to our nature reserves to keep their dogs on a short lead.”
A report on Facebook posted by Cumbria Hunt Saboteurs said that its members, along with Lancashire Hunt Saboteurs, paid an unannounced visit to the nature reserve on Sunday and it was claimed they had seen several support vehicles lining the road, north of the car park.
It was claimed that several hunt supporters had got “viewing seats” on Naddle Crags looking towards the land and woods surrounding Naddle Beck.
The post says that several walkers with families were in the area and were horrified after being told what was allegedly happening.
The saboteurs claim they had seen the hounds in full cry but had not seen a fox being killed.
Cumbria police said a number of reports had been received from members of the public on the morning of February 18, concerning what was believed to be an ongoing hunt on land near Troutbeck.
“Officers attended and carried out enquiries, but no evidence of a mammal being pursued was presented,” said a police statement.
“Further enquiries are ongoing and any eyewitnesses are encouraged to contact police on 101, quoting incident 101 of February 18.”
In a letter sent to The Keswick Reminder this week, Sarah Jones said she had previously witnessed an alleged hunt and trespass taking place at Eycott Hill around a year ago.
“It is time that these illegal hunting ‘people’, who just don’t care whose land they tramp all over, are called out, and stopped for what is just blatant thuggery, masquerading as one of the traditions of the countryside,” she wrote.
Last year, the Reminder reported that Billy Bland, a member of Cumbria Hunt Watch, had raised concerns at a meeting of Borrowdale Parish Council, that hunt packs were continuing to illegally trespass on National Trust and private land but the conservation charity and the police were not acting on reports.
The Reminder contacted Barry Todhunter, leader of Blencathra Foxhounds, for a comment but had not received one at the time of going to press.
