0845 603 0708
answers@nationalsolicitors.com

Cheshire Police Urge Rethink On Hunting

Cheshire's Police Commissioner has urged the Government to rethink it's position on fox hunting and has commented that the current law represents "challenges to investigators and prosecutors".

David Keane commented that it was difficult to secure sufficient evidence for convictions.

Furthermore Cheshire Constabulary has yet to successfully prosecute anyone for illegal hunting and the force commented that it was working hard to put the policing processes in place.

The inquiry was called after several Cheshire MPs raised concerns about a number of suspected illegal hunts.

Cheshire Police acknowledged that the force appeared to be out out of step with the national picture as none of it's investigations had led to prosecutions under the Hunting Act.

He added: "The review is frank that the current legislation in the way it is drafted presents challenges to investigators and prosecutors.

"As such, I will be speaking with MPs to explore how such legislative change can be progressed through parliament."

As reference, in 2004, it was made a criminal offence in England and Wales to hunt and kill a wild mammal with dogs.

Cheshire Constabulary have only passed one file to the Crown Prosecution Service in the last three years following an incident where a fox was killed when a hunt spilled onto a residential street in Macclesfield in 2017.

The Crown Prosecution Service said there was not enough evidence to prove the animal's death was caused deliberately.