READING recent newspaper reports on new national guidelines for police enforcement of the Hunting Act made me wonder how many journalists actually read the guidelines before simply re-hashing the pro hunting spin released by the Countryside Alliance and other bloodsports fanatics.
The guidance issued by the Association of Police Chief Officers rightly points out that while hunting is not a top priority it is still the law of the land and therefore it is their duty to enforce this law. This is very different from claims that police believe the law to be unenforceable and therefore will no longer be policing it. Let us not forget there has been almost 70 prosecutions under the Act in the four years since it came into force, and more are in the pipeline with summons in new cases issued just last week.
What was also recognized in the guidelines is the effort and commitment from organizations such as the League Against Cruel Sports in training professional monitors to work closely with the police on this issue. These people work tirelessly, often in the face of both verbal and physical abuse, to ensure the Hunting Act, which is supported by 75 per cent of the population, is effectively enforced.
The bottom line is that the Hunting Act is the law of the land and no-one - not even a hunter - is above that.
DOUGLAS BATCHELOR
Chief Executive, League Against Cruel Sports
Holloway Hill
Godalming
Surrey
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