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 campaign groups.
Traditional hunts were replaced with trail hunting, which involves laying a trail using a rag soaked in animal scent, in 2004 after the government at the time restricted the practice.
It mimics traditional fox hunting with dogs, but without chasing, injuring, or killing an animal. However, animal welfare campaigners have argued it is being used as a smokescreen to continue to hunt wild foxes illegally.
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 new government plans came under the spotlight as the annual Boxing Day hunts met on Thursday, with some arguing people were carrying out a legitimate, legal activity that brought the rural community together.
Tim Bonner, the Countryside Alliance’s chief executive, said it would be “extraordinary” for Labour to focus on it 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.
“If they are claiming that somehow this law needs to be changed to address illegal behaviour, then it needs to be very carefully thought through, and any proposals are brought forward do just need to address that.
“Because what there can’t be any case for is stopping people going into the countryside with a pack of hounds or dogs, and carrying out a completely benign activity, which is what hunts are doing.”
It comes just weeks after ministers imposed inheritance tax on farmland for the first time since 1992, with a 20 per cent rate being paid for all land valued at £1m or more.
However, animal campaign groups are piling pressure on the government to go further to legislate against animal cruelty, as an estimated 250 hunts took place for the traditional Boxing Day meet.
The League Against Cruel Sports said figures compiled by its intelligence team found that since the beginning of August, 186 foxes were reported being pursued by hunts and there were 220 reports relating to suspected illegal hunting incidents.
There were also 553 reports of “hunt havoc”, in which hounds caused disruption such as chasing other wild animals or pets, worrying livestock or causing traffic incidents, or disturbing the public, the organisation said.
Emma Judd, head of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “Hunts may claim they are following a pre-laid animal scent trail, known as trail hunting, but this has been shown to be nothing but a smokescreen to conceal old-fashioned illegal hunting.”
Meanwhile, analysis compiled in May this year by the pressure group indicated that a majority of people support strengthening laws preventing fox hunting.
Dan Norris, Labour MP for North East Somerset and Hanham and the organisation’s chairman, urged ministers to “listen to the majority view, including in rural areas, to close the legal loopholes that allow needless cruelty to animals, and implement a proper ban on hunting once and for all”.
But earlier this year, a new report revealed that banning trail hunting will not stop hunts from killing foxes and deer because hunters would find other ways around the law.
The report, seen by The Independent, was drawn up by hunting opponents who claim the law is too easily abused, leaving wildlife with too little protection.
It comes amid reports that fox hunters are set to face harsher penalties under plans being pursued by the government, leading countryside groups to accuse the government of “picking another fight” with rural communities.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) refused to officially deny the reports when approached by The Independent, but a source said the government has “no immediate plans” to introduce harsher penalties.
A Defra spokesperson said: “This government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious animal welfare plans in a generation and that is exactly what we will do.
“We are committed to a ban on trail hunting, which is being exploited as a smokescreen to cruelly kill foxes and hares.”