An Utkinton man has accused the Cheshire Foxhounds hunt of appalling cruelty. He alleges that a cat was torn to death by hounds in his back garden. Anthony Cobb of The Malkins came home from work at ICI Northwich on Tuesday evening to be told by his neighbour that the hunts had killed his other next door neighbours cat.

“It’s body was at the bottom of my rear garden next to a pen in which I keep sheep. It had virtually been disembowelled. To me this is an appalling act of cruelty against a domestic animal. The hunt had no right to let dogs into my garden. The whole thing is scandalous”

The cat was the pet of Mr & Mrs J Van Wassdilk. Mr Cobb's wife Phyllis said, “Mr Wassdilk was very upset and asked if my husband could deal with the body, because they would be too upset if they saw it. They are going to complain to the hunt.”

Neighbour Wendy Knowles of ‘Wynton’ Quarry Bank who saw the cat being killed, said she heard screaming from her kitchen, went out and was told by one of the hunt followers that the hounds had only got a rabbit, but I could see they [hounds] had black fur in their mouths. Mrs Knowles phoned her neighbour Sandra Dinning who came then they found the dead cat.

Mrs Knowles added she had a further conversation with the riders before they left. “He offered me two tickets to the hunt ball saying it was to make up for the inconvenience I had suffered.”

Police stated they can do nothing about the incident.

Cheshire Hunt secretary Peter Sayce admitted the hunt had been at Quarry Bank after chasing a fox from Duddon Mill. However he said he was unable to comment about the cat's death as no complaint had yet been made to the hunt.

Published in the Chester Chronicle, 1977