Huntsmen guilty of badger offences
In a case brought by the RSPCA, two leading Wiltshire huntsmen have pleaded guilty to damaging a badger sett, contrary to the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
The RSPCA and the police were alerted after a group of men were seen on and around a badger sett in Stockley Hollow while the Avon Vale Hunt was nearby.
The two huntsmen were found at the scene, along with shovels, nets and radio devices used for underground tracking, which were hidden in a nearby hedgerow.
After examining the area, RSPCA inspector Ian Burns discovered that entrances to the active sett had been blocked up and a large hole had been dug, breaking a tunnel.
A small patterdale terrier belonging to Pethers was found in the sett, fitted with an underground location collar. Dazed and bleeding badly from the jaw, he was examined by a vet who found his injuries to be consistent with being attacked underground by the claws and teeth of an animal.
"This was the worst damage caused to a badger sett I’ve seen," said Inspector Burns. "These defendants chose to severely and intentionally damage a well-known and active sett. This is clearly illegal. Everyone should respect our wildlife and the laws that are there to protect them."
Stuart Timothy Radbourne, joint master of foxhounds, and Benjamin George Pethers, the terrier man for Avon Vale Hunt, admitted to damaging the sett on May 7 at Chippenham Magistrates Court.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
