Man found not guilty of fox hunting offence

A man has been cleared of hunting a fox with hounds in Leicestershire.

William Hanson, 33, of South Lawns, Swinbrook, Oxford, had been accused of leading a pack of hounds near Peatling Magna on 8 January 2022.

At Leicester Magistrates' Court the prosecution claimed he had deliberately forced a fox from trees and allowed it to be chased.

But while accepting the fox had been pursued, the court said it had not been proven it was done deliberately.

The court heard the hounds started chasing a fox while riders were sheltering from bad weather in a patch of trees.

It was shown CCTV footage of the fox, hounds and some riders in and around the car park of The Cock Inn.

This showed Mr Hanson had led the pack out of the village in under two minutes.

The Hunting Act 2004 requires intent to be established and the magistrates said this had not been done.

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