Hundreds of hunting supporters gathered in Tiverton on Boxing Day despite a council vote declaring the annual meet unwelcome and criticism from television presenter Chris Packham. Tiverton Town Council had backed a motion stating that the hunt meet was "not welcome" in the town, while Mr Packham had branded the event "ethically and morally bankrupt" earlier this month.
The traditional meet, which has taken place outside the Half Moon pub for around 200 years, saw large crowds turn out to support the Tiverton Foxhounds. Addressing the crowd from horseback, Kelvin Thomas of the hunt vowed to meet again next year and told Mr Packham to stay out of rural affairs. "Better if he just left rural issues to us and he got on with his job," he said.
Around 50 protesters gathered with placards and a cardboard cutout of Mr Packham before the huntsman blew his horn. The event came as hunt supporters across the country vowed to fight government plans to ban trail hunting, which ministers claim is too often used as a smokescreen for illegal foxhunting.
At the Duke of Beaufort Hunt near Badminton, Gloucestershire, joint master Will Bryer said the countryside was "under assault and siege" and warned the government of a "fight" ahead. At the Grove Rufford Hunt in Bawtry, South Yorkshire, chairman Jane Bowen pleaded for the government to "please leave us alone", adding that hunts operate legally and have done so for 20 years.
The proposed ban, a Labour manifesto pledge, has been welcomed by animal rights groups. A public consultation is due to launch in early 2026. The Countryside Alliance claims hunts contribute more than £100 million a year to the rural economy, while a recent poll suggested 65 per cent of voters think Labour unfairly neglects country communities, amid lingering resentment over changes to inheritance tax.
