Pressure mounts on Labour to impose trail hunting ban

The government is under growing pressure over its manifesto pledge to ban trail hunting, as plans to change the law have been dubbed “completely unjustified” by pro-hunting campaign groups.

- MILLIE COOKE

Trail hunting, which involves laying a trail using a rag soaked in animal scent, became prevalent after the government at the time banned foxhunting. It mimics traditional foxhunting with dogs, but without chasing, injuring, or killing an animal.

However, animal welfare campaigners have argued that it is being used as a smokescreen for the continued illegal hunting of wild foxes – an assertion supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Labour, which introduced the original ban on hunting with dogs, pledged in its manifesto this year to ban trail hunting as part of what it says are measures to “improve animal welfare”.

These plans came under the spotlight as the annual Boxing Day hunts met yesterday, with some arguing that those involved were taking part in a legitimate, legal activity that brings the rural community together.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, which supports hunting, said it would be “extraordinary” for Labour to focus on this area given the poor state of relations with rural communities. He said: “It’s very sad that we may be going back to a point where we have to waste even more parliamentary time on this irrelevant issue.