A group took to the streets of Salisbury on Saturday (September 18) in an attempt to ban trail hunting.

Volunteers from Action Against Foxhunting (AAF) and the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) are calling on the National Trust to ban the licensing of ‘trail’ hunting on its land.

The organisations are urging the public to to vote in favour of the National Trust's motion to ban trail hunting, exempt hunting, and hound exercise on the trust's land.

Trail hunting - which replicates a traditional hunt, but with following a scent rather than a fox - became popular after hunting with hounds was made illegal in the Hunting Act 2004.

However, last year the Trust paused trail hunting on its land after Hunting Office webinars were leaked that appeared to discuss how trail hunting was a smokescreen for foxhunting.

The groups gathered outside Salisbury Library and Market Walk to urge the public to take action and sign up to the National Trust campaign.

Pete Matthews, from Amesbury, who is member of the National Trust, AAF and LACS, said: "We were inundated with support from both members and non-members of the National Trust.

"In two hours we nearly ran out of leaflets and had over 100 signatures on postcards that will be sent to the National Trust."

The National Trust said: "People have a legal right to organise demonstrations and express their views and, provided they are respectful and don’t block access for our visitors or impact on our conservation work, we accept this activity."

 

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