Friday, May 28, 2004
LAW BREAKING??
And today, members of the Fitzwilliam Hunt warned even if a ban on fox hunting was introduced in England they would still carry on.
Defiant members of the hunt, which is based at the Milton Estates, said if England ever followed the Scottish Parliament it would cost jobs and would just force the sport underground.
The Scottish ban on fox hunting went through on Wednesday night after MSPs upheld a Private Member´s Bill to ban the mounted hunting of foxes with hounds.
Today, George Bowyer, joint-master of the Fitzwilliam Hunt, said: "If the hunt is banned then we are going to end up in the same situation as badger baiters and hare-coursers, people will continue to hunt - but they will just do it illegally.
"As far as I am concerned, the Scottish ban has too many loopholes in it, and I don´t think it´s going to stop it.
"I don´t think it´s the hunt people object to anyway, it´s the image of hunting being a higher class sport.
"People don´t realise that if the hunt stops, the staff working in the kennels, and those who look after the horses, will lose their jobs."
Mr Bowyer added that if the hunt was to stop, its 60 hounds would have to be put down, and new homes found for the horses.
He said: "The hounds eat raw meat, they would not make good family pets, because they are not house-trained. They would be of no use to anyone."
Anti-hunt campaigner, and former Labour city councillor, John Johnson said: "Whenever anti-hunt campaigners turn up at any hunt, the area is swarming with police vans and dog units.
"I just hope that if this medieval practice is banned in Peterborough, and they continue to go out and do what they do, they will be treated like the criminals they are - arrested and punished for their actions."
TODAY, city MP Helen Clark expressed her outrage after hearing that members of the Fitzwilliam Hunt would break the law to continue their sport.
She said: "I think what Mr Bowyer is suggesting is absolutely disgraceful. The opinion of most of my constituents from the letters I have received is that the hunt should be banned and I fully support them and vote for them.
"Mr Bowyer is playing the emotive card by saying that the hounds would be put down - this is complete rubbish and I have information to prove it if he wants to contact me."
Defiant members of the hunt, which is based at the Milton Estates, said if England ever followed the Scottish Parliament it would cost jobs and would just force the sport underground.
The Scottish ban on fox hunting went through on Wednesday night after MSPs upheld a Private Member´s Bill to ban the mounted hunting of foxes with hounds.
Today, George Bowyer, joint-master of the Fitzwilliam Hunt, said: "If the hunt is banned then we are going to end up in the same situation as badger baiters and hare-coursers, people will continue to hunt - but they will just do it illegally.
"As far as I am concerned, the Scottish ban has too many loopholes in it, and I don´t think it´s going to stop it.
"I don´t think it´s the hunt people object to anyway, it´s the image of hunting being a higher class sport.
"People don´t realise that if the hunt stops, the staff working in the kennels, and those who look after the horses, will lose their jobs."
Mr Bowyer added that if the hunt was to stop, its 60 hounds would have to be put down, and new homes found for the horses.
He said: "The hounds eat raw meat, they would not make good family pets, because they are not house-trained. They would be of no use to anyone."
Anti-hunt campaigner, and former Labour city councillor, John Johnson said: "Whenever anti-hunt campaigners turn up at any hunt, the area is swarming with police vans and dog units.
"I just hope that if this medieval practice is banned in Peterborough, and they continue to go out and do what they do, they will be treated like the criminals they are - arrested and punished for their actions."
TODAY, city MP Helen Clark expressed her outrage after hearing that members of the Fitzwilliam Hunt would break the law to continue their sport.
She said: "I think what Mr Bowyer is suggesting is absolutely disgraceful. The opinion of most of my constituents from the letters I have received is that the hunt should be banned and I fully support them and vote for them.
"Mr Bowyer is playing the emotive card by saying that the hounds would be put down - this is complete rubbish and I have information to prove it if he wants to contact me."
