Hunting with dogs - Hunting Act 2004

MP slams pro-hunt ‘sick cowards’

PRO-HUNT campaigners have been branded sick cowards after dead foxes were left outside the office of an MP who voted to ban the sport.

The corpses were left in the doorway of Wellingborough Labour MP Paul Stinchcombe’s offices in Oxford Street in the town while the building was open to the public.

The incident follows Mr Stinchcombe’s vote to ban hunting as thousands of hunt supporters protested outside the Houses of Parliament last week.

Mr Stinchcombe, who was holding a surgery for constituents when he was told what had happened, said: “The thuggish, intimidating minority who have done this participate in a medieval pastime, relish death and, most importantly, they do not respect democracy.”

“It is sick and they are cowards.

“A lot of people think going out and killing foxes for sport is a bit sick, but it is even more sick to kill them and then leave them in a public place.”

The dead foxes were left at 5.30pm on Friday but office staff did not move them because of fears they were booby-trapped.

They were eventually moved by vets at a cost to the taxpayer of 120 and the attack was reported to police.

Special Branch is also looking into tightening security around Mr Stinchcombe’s Wellingborough office.

Mr Stinchcombe added: “I have youngsters who are homeless, people with mental health problems and pensioners all coming to see me and they all had to step over the bodies of two dead foxes.

“It is already difficult enough for people to get to see their MP. This was another barrier.”

Jill Grieve, a spokesman for pro-hunt pressure group the Countryside Alliance, said: “We understand that many people are feeling angry, upset and worried but this sort of action is entirely unhelpful. We are looking to engage ministers and MPs in reasoned debate, not intimidate them.”

Hunting campaigners also targeted Kettering MP Phil Sawford and Corby MP Phil Hope on Wednesday before the crucial vote and Mr Hope was accosted by noisy protesters outside a school in Nassington on Friday.

Source: Northamptonshire Telegraph