Suspicious vehicle belonging to hunt saboteurs towed away

Suspicious vehicle belonging to hunt saboteurs towed away by police on quiet country lane after complaints

A military-style vehicle belonging to anti-hunt activists was towed away from outside hunt kennels in a quiet country lane in Hertfordshire after police found it was being driven without insurance.

Hertfordshire Police were called to reports of an incident in Mill Lane, Brent Pelham, on the morning of Saturday 3^rd December 2022,  after a green Land Rover Defender was spotted by local residents cruising slowly and suspiciously around the area. 

The Countryside Alliance, a rural campaigning organisation, has accused members of the ‘East Northants saboteur group’ of ‘reckless, dangerous behaviour’ after one of its members allegedly parked the vehicle outside the premises of the Puckeridge Hunt, blocking a public footpath. In an image captured at the scene, the suspected driver appears to be seen retrieving items from inside the vehicle, while wearing worn out combat-style clothing. 

Polly Portwin, a spokesperson for the Countryside Alliance said: “All too often, hunt saboteurs show blatant disregard for the law and it is very concerning to know that vehicles belonging to these activists – often used to harass followers of lawful hunting – are being driven around the countryside without insurance. Going forward, we hope the authorities carry out frequent checks on vehicles used by saboteurs.”

While details about the saboteur group are limited, their social media does identify them as being ‘based in East Northamptonshire’, some 60 miles away by car from East Hertfordshire. 

All motorists are required, by law, to insure their cars. It protects the driver, their vehicle and other motorists against liability in case there is an accident. It also provides financial compensation to cover any injuries caused to people or their property.

The Puckeridge Hunt, which has kennels on Mill Lane, had not been out trail hunting on the day of the saboteurs’ arrival in the village, nor were they scheduled to. 

A hunt spokesperson said: “Our staff were concerned after a suspicious looking vehicle had been spotted lurking near the hunt kennels. In the interest of health and safety, both for our staff and the wider local community, police were contacted. It’s not right that these people, who more often than not dress in silly paramilitary style uniforms and wear masks to hide their identities, try to intimidate our dedicated members of staff and followers. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to Hertfordshire Police for their swift response on this occasion.”  

Trail-hunting involves the laying of an artificial scent across the country which a pack of hounds then searches for and follows using their noses. The season starts in the autumn and continues throughout the winter, with most packs finishing during March.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police said: “Police were called around 10am on Saturday (3 December) to reports of a suspicious incident in Mill Lane, Brent Pelham. Officers attended and while no offences were identified and no arrests made, one vehicle, a Land Rover, was seized for being driven without insurance.”