Anti-fox hunt campaigners take to Peterborough streets calling for National Trust to take action

Volunteers and staff from the leading national animal welfare charity, including one in a fox costume, gathered outside the cathedral to urge the public to take action and sign up to its National Trust campaign.

Nick Weston, head of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports said: “The public enjoyed seeing the League ‘fox’ and listening to what our campaign is about.

“One person we spoke to, told us they have just joined the National Trust and are shocked at two things: that hunting still goes on and the National Trust allow it on its land.”

The day of action in Peterborough is one of a series of League actions taking place across the country this summer ahead of the National Trust’s AGM in October, when there will be a vote in which members will get the chance to call for a permanent ban on the licensing of trail hunting.

Nick added: “It is evident that tragically fox hunting is still taking place across England and Wales despite the ban, so we are calling on the National Trust to stop licensing ‘trail’ hunts on its land once and for all.”

Fox hunts have come under the spotlight recently after senior figures within the hunting lobby were caught seeming to admit that ‘trail’ hunting, one of the excuses they use, is a ‘smokescreen’ for the chasing and killing of animals.

The National Trust to its has paused the licensing of trail hunting but the League Against Cruel Sports say it is now time to have the ban made permanent.