Turn out tomorrow to support your local hunt

Hunting supporters are urged to rally for their local packs at Boxing Day meets today and tomorrow.

Draghunts and bloodhounds will meet today (26 December) but foxhunts and harriers, who traditionally do not hunt on Sundays, will wait until tomorrow for their festive meets.

Alastair Jackson, director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA), said: “Boxing Day is the one day of the year when hunts traditionally meet in their local towns and they are very well supported by the public who enjoy the spectacle.

“Despite the weather this year hunts will make every effort to hold their meets on Monday, on foot if necessary, and everyone is welcome to join them.”

Meanwhile, a new poll published today, Boxing Day, shows that six out of ten people think the Hunting Act has been a waste of police time.

And eight out of ten believe animal rights activists should not be allowed take the law into their own hands.

The survey was carried out by ORB for the Countryside Alliance.

Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Alice Barnard said: “The Hunting Act has wasted thousands of hours of police time and millions of pounds of taxpayers money.

“The coalition government is committed to a vote on the Hunting Act. When the law is debated and its failure and waste exposed, we are confident that the country and parliament will support the arguments for getting rid of it.”

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