The Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt attract a large crowd to its New Year’s Day gathering at Wansford near Peterborough against a backdrop of renewed calls for Labour to implement its promised ban on trail hunting.
“We were so thrilled to see such a massive crowd today for our New Year gathering and want to thank you all for your support and hope you enjoyed meeting our eagle, hounds and horses,” the hunt posted to Facebook.
“Thanks also to The Barn at Wansford for our venue for this morning and to all our landowners and farmers, subscribers, supporters and hard working volunteers for everything they do for the hunt.”
However, the League Against Cruel Sports claims pressure in mounting on the Labour government to move forward with a promised trail hunting ban.
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris
Its spokesperson said: “In an open letter signed by Judi Dench, Mark Rylance, Ricky Gervais, Peter Egan, Megan McCubbin, David Oakes, Dan Richardson, and others, Protect the Wild calls on Steve Reed, secretary of state for environment, food, and rural affairs, to make good on his government’s commitment.”
The area covered by the Fitzwilliam is some 30 miles by 20 miles, from Stamford in the North to Higham Ferrers in the South
Among those attending the hunt yesterday – mingling with the crowd of onlookers – was former Peterborough MP Paul Bristow who recently announced he had bought a house in the area.
Although he was spotted taking photos of the hunt, Mr Bristow, recently adopted as the Conservative candidate to be Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, is yet to post photos he was seen taking at the hunt.
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry HarrisMr Bristow has not declared a position on hunting but recently announced “As Mayor, I would stand 100% with them (farmer) and am looking forward to putting up my own poster/banner to stop the Family Farm Tax”.
The League Against Cruel Sports, ahead of last July’s election, said it was disappointed that the Conservative manifesto did not include a pledge to strengthen the Hunting Act.
“The Hunting Act remains an extremely popular piece of legislation, however after nearly 20 years it is clear that it is no longer enough to protect animals from being chased and killed,” said their spokesperson.
“Strengthening the law on hunting enjoys strong cross party support with polling conducted in April, May and June showing that 67 per cent Conservative voters support strengthening the law on hunting with dogs.”
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry HarrisChris Luffingham, acting chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sport said: “When most people are now discussing the need to strengthen the Hunting Act, it is disappointing that the Conservatives have buried their heads in the sand on the issue by failing to commit to strengthen the law on fox hunting.
“The Conservative party recognise there is no appetite to return to unchecked, legal fox hunting however it is now time for change, the Hunting Act is not working and must be strengthened”
The society claims that strengthening the law on hunting with dogs is a popular policy right across the country. It says 76 per cent of British people support tougher measures to protect animals, including 70 per cent of rural people.
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry HarrisMeanwhile the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt remains stoic in its defence of hunting.
“Our hounds are looking forward to New Year’s Day and the chance to meet more friends,” it posted ahead of the New Year’s Day meet.
“We will be coming into Wansford on New Year’s Day at 12 noon to private land at rear of The Haycock Manor Hotel – the hotel will have a stand selling refreshments and our hounds would love to see you.”
Its website admits that “hunting can be a controversial subject. We believe in what we do, but we respect the right of other people not to agree with us.
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris“However, before you make up your mind on hunting, please do visit us and see it for yourself. We are proud of the contribution we make to the local community, to farming and conservation and to the rural economy.
“If you would like to come out for a day with the Fitzwilliam (you don’t need a horse – for every person who hunts on a horse, five or six follow hounds in cars, on bicycles or on their feet) then contact the hunt secretaries via the contact details on the contacts page.
“We consider the Hunting Act 2004 to be an ill thought-out piece of legislation that is harmful to the hunted species, the environments in which they live and the rural economies that surround them.
“However, we are law-abiding people and whilst it remains in force, the Fitzwilliam will continue to hunt within the law, providing activities for our hunt followers and services to farmers and landowners. In parallel with this, we remain active in seeking repeal of this law.”
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry HarrisMeanwhile hunt saboteurs continue to mount protests against not only the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt but others across the region.
Beds & Bucks Hunt Sabs posted on New Year’s Day their “huge thanks to all our supporters; we can’t do what we do without you and together with all the other sab groups around the country and the HSA themselves, we will end hunting with hounds for good. It’s only a matter of time.
“Speaking of which 2025 promises to be very interesting.
“We have the Oakley Hunt staff in court in March, the Fitzwilliam are under investigation once again and we’re very optimistic of a positive outcome there plus there’s more regarding the Fitz we hope to make public in the future, watch this space”.
On December 30, the Beds and Bucks Hunt Sab group described an encounter that day with the Fitzwilliam Hunt.
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris“Seeing their faces, and particularly that of hunt secretary/uber for stalkers Karen Silcock (a Fitzwilliam Hunt secretary) was absolutely priceless as we wandered past the meet with the cheery hello this morning. Best late Christmas pressie ever!
“The hunt made a rare trip off their injunction land and were hunting from Hall Farm in Abbots Ripton. A late sighting came in from a local so we cobbled together a small team from us and Peterborough Hunt Sabs and went off to spoil their fun.
“It must have been a pretty boring meet for the smallish field of around 20 riders as the hunt spent the whole time fannying around in Holland and Wennington Woods while they wandered around or just stood there.
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris“The assortment of chunky beet faced hangers on stood staring forlornly into the woods in the hope of catching a glimpse of the proceedings but were largely disappointed.”
The Hunt Sab group said one fox was seen dashing between the woods “which we covered, and everyone also saw but with cameras rolling phone calls were made which no doubt prevented the potential for another police investigation – two at a time wouldn’t be good for them.
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris“On the whole a fairly low key day which is good, and it was nice to round off the year with some glum hunt faces”.
The League Against Cruel Sports is hoping that its open letter to the Government – signed by numerous celebrities – will prompt action on their pre-election promises to toughen the law on hunting.
“Theoretically, trail hunting is a practice whereby hunts follow artificial scent trails rather than pursuing and killing wild mammals,” said the league’s spokesperson.
“However, it has long been clear that many hunts use trail hunting as a smokescreen to continue persecuting wildlife.
“This makes a mockery of the two-decades-old Hunting Act that outlawed the hunting of foxes and other wild mammals with packs of dogs.
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry Harris“The Labour Party committed to banning trail hunting in its 2024 election manifesto. But no trail hunting ban is yet forthcoming.”
Mingling in the crowd at the New Year’s Day meeting of the Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt at Wansford was former Tory MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, now the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Labour meanwhile is being urged to tighten the law on hunting. PHOTO: Terry HarrisThe letter’s signatories believe that now is the “time for change” to “put an end to the animal cruelty and criminality that is frequently observed during hunting seasons”.
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