A second police force has dropped an investigation into the Atherstone Hunt over an allegation that a fox was illegally killed, citing a “lack of evidence”.
Leicestershire Police have told the Telegraph they have closed their investigation into the Warwickshire hunt after an incident in Hall Lane, Osbaston in January this year.
At the time gruesome footage from West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs was published which showed the a dead fox being carried in the jaws of a hound.
But now Leicestershire Police have said there was not enough evidence to prosecute anyone over the incident.
A spokesman for the force told the Telegraph: “It was closed due to a lack of evidence. The body of the fox was never surrendered to us.”
It is the second time a police force has dropped an investigation into the Atherstone Hunt and the death of a fox this year.
In August the Telegraph reported that Warwickshire Police would not charge anyone even though video evidence of a fox being killed by a hound, again captured by West Midlands Saboteurs, had been published.
Following this incident in November 2015 there were also witness statements given by anti-hunt protesters and an admission from Atherstone Hunt that they killed the fox, but that it was already injured before they arrived.
Since 2005 it has been illegal to hunt foxes with dogs.
The maximum penalty is a £5,000 fine while police can also confiscate and destroy equipment and dogs used in hunting.
Atherstone Hunt has been under the police spotlight several other times in the past two years.
Earlier this week the Telegraph reported that Leicestershire Police were investigating after a whip wielding member of Atherstone Hunt was filmed engaging in a scuffle with an anti hunt protester on Monday, October 3.
In December 2015 footage emerged which appeared to show a hunt supporter put a protester in a headlock during a meeting of Atherstone Hunt.
Laura Caines, 33, from Bedworth, was subsequently found guilty on two counts of assault by beating after the bust-up.
In September 2015, footage emerged showing hunt stewards simulating sex with the body of a dead goose but police decided no criminal offence had taken place.
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Source: Coventry Telegraph