Irate motorists have accused the Cheshire Forest Hunt of endangering the lives of motorists and hounds after rioting hounds spilled out of Dutton Hollow Nature Reserve and onto a busy main road in fading light in pursuit of a fox. Eye witnesses’ claim motorists had to take emergency action to avoid the rampaging hounds and riders, galloping along the centre of the road to join in the chase, brought traffic on the Northwich Road (A533) to a complete standstill.

Claire Polehampton who was driving along Northwich Road said, “The hunt endangered my life today and every motorist on that road in order so that they could chase a fox. It is a miracle no one wasn’t seriously injured or killed, how those hounds lived is beyond me. Even with headlights on I only just noticed them on the opposite side of the road coming out of the wood, oncoming cars would not have seen them until the very last minute. The noise of cars screeching to halt and the sound of car horns was terrifying, I had to swerve off the road to avoid the other cars and hounds. A few minutes later a huntsman road down the centre of the road rounded up his hounds, in the process stopping all the traffic and claimed he was doing nothing illegal and went off hunting again without apologising. How can the police allow them to get away with this?”

A spokesperson for the North West League Against Cruel Sports commented, “The hunt will no doubt claim they were hunting within the law but there is no exemption in the Hunting Act that allows hounds to be out of control in this way. Where, for example, was the Cheshire Forest Hunt's hawk which they claim to release as soon as a fox breaks cover. After an identical incident ten years go we warned the police that ‘inadequate action is taken to stop the hunts from endangering road users and trespassing’ and it appears the lessons still haven’t been learnt.”

Notes:

• Cheshire Forest Hunt met at Chetwode Arms, Lower Whitley, Northwich on Saturday 10th December 2005
• Incident happened at 15.50
• Motorists and League Against Cruel Sports hunt monitors at the scene reported the incident to Cheshire Police at 15.51
• In 1996 an almost exact incident occurred at the same location, see report.
• Dutton Hollow Nature Reserve is owned by Cheshire Wildlife Trust and has a strict no hunt policy.