ANTI-hunting campaigners have released new figures they claim show a ‘shocking scale’ of incidents of fox hunts wreaking havoc in the Somerset countryside or being involved in suspected illegal hunting.

Animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) put the county in the worst top five in England and Wales for incidents relating to suspected illegal hunting or hunt havoc.

It said there were 66 recorded incidents in just five months during the last hunting season.

LACS said there were 42 cases of hunt havoc and 24 incidents of hunts being involved in suspected illegal hunting in Somerset between the beginning of November, 2022, and April, 2023.

It said 24 cases involved a hunt being seen ‘chasing a fox’.

Hunt havoc reports included hunts trespassing on private land and railway lines, ‘running amok’ on roads, chasing livestock and people’s pets, incidents involving the welfare of horses and hounds, badger setts being damaged to prevent foxes fleeing, people being intimidated and caused mental distress, and the chasing of other wildlife such as deer.

LACS deputy chief executive Chris Luffingham said: “These figures show that fox hunts are out of control, still brutally chasing and killing animals, and exhibiting a shocking range of anti-social behaviour that is blighting rural communities in Somerset nearly 20 years after hunting with dogs was supposed to have been banned.

“It is time for change, time for politicians to step up to the mark and for hunting laws to be strengthened.”

The figures were collated by the league from reports across England and Wales by members of the public into its ‘Animal Crimewatch’ service and by people who monitor the behaviour of hunts.

Nationally, the figures showed nearly 1,000 incidents, with 621 cases of hunt havoc and 361 cases of suspected illegal hunting occurring across 47 counties and involving 108 hunts.

The five counties with the highest number of incidents were Gloucestershire, Dorset, Yorkshire, Somerset, and Cheshire.

The league said when cub hunting figures were added, which happens between August and October in the run-up to the hunting season, the total number of incidents for Somerset reached 94.

These included 56 incidents of havoc, 38 cases of suspected illegal hunting, and 30 foxes seen being chased by hunts.

Mr Luffingham said: “It beggars belief that hunts are still marauding around Somerset and getting away with their disruptive and callous activities.

“Politicians have a responsibility to ensure law and order is being upheld and need to crack down on what amounts to a rural crime wave by the hunts.

“The Hunting Act needs to be strengthened to end the misery being inflicted on the lives of both people and animals.”

The British Hound Sports Association has been asked to comment on the claims made by the league in its report.