Seven-month-old Tiger is said to have lost his life on December 24 (Picture: Cat Action Trust 1977)

A seven-month-old kitten was allegedly ‘ripped to pieces’ during an ‘illegal fox hunt’ on Christmas Eve.

Bits of fur were all that was left of a ginger and white cat named Tiger after he was attacked by hounds from The Bramham Hunt in a ‘barbaric’ incident in Scarcroft, West Yorkshire, it’s claimed.

Footage shows dogs said to be from the Bramham Hunt allegedly chasing a fox through woodland on December 24 on the Bramham Estate, the park where Leeds Festival is held every year.

Luke Steele, an independent hunt monitor who filmed the footage, said: ‘The hunt was going through there in the morning, chased the fox and we filmed them chasing the fox out to the woodland.




‘The fox went to the ground in a badger sett and the huntsman obviously came along and the hounds were trying to dig the fox out.’

After the incident, Luke says he phoned Bramham Estate Resident Agent Nick Pritchard at 2pm to inform him the law had been broken and ask him to disband the hunt.

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However, it is said to have continued onto the land of the Hellwood Racing Stables in Scarcroft where the seven-month-old kitten Tiger was allegedly torn to pieces by hounds.

The young cat lived at Cat Action Trust 1977 Leeds for eight weeks before he was adopted with his brother Felix on August 9.

Branch leader Shelia Pickersgill told Metro.co.uk: ‘The owner found the cat. The dogs came through and the cat was found all over the place.

‘All that’s left of him is bits of fur everywhere.

‘It’s disgusting that this goes on in this day and age. It’s barbaric.’

Mr Steele added that it was ‘absolutely sickening to see a fox being chased to exhaustion by a pack of baying hounds across Bramham Park, an area popular with festival-goers who would be horrified to learn of the cruelty inflicted on hunted wildlife at the venue’.

The master’s student has called on local landowners, including Mr Pritchard, to no longer welcome the hunt onto their property.

Tiger was adopted from Cat Action Trust 1977 (Picture: Cat Action Trust 1977)

With his brother Felix (Picture: Cat Action Trust 1977)

The alleged incident has been called ‘barbaric’ by branch leader Shelia Pickersgill (Picture: Cat Action Trust 1977)

He said: ’The Hunting Act is clear that landowners have a responsibility to ensure wildlife is not chased or killed by hounds on their land and those facilitating hunting could easily find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

‘Bramham Park should now fulfil its obligation to prevent wildlife crime and maintain strong community relations by no longer inviting the hunt in light of the events on Christmas Eve.’

A spokesperson from the Badsworth and Bramham Hunt said: ‘The Hunt were in the vicinity on the 24th December and are aware that a young cat went missing.

‘Hunt officials are liaising with the owner at this difficult and sensitive time.’

Mr Pritchard said: ‘The Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt requested permission to meet at Bramham Park on Christmas Eve; they were allowed to onto the estate on the understanding that their activities fell within the law.



‘We have been made aware of a serious allegation that the law has been broken and we will cooperate fully with the Police in their investigation.’

The owner of the kitten declined to comment.

The hunt is said to have gone through the Bramham Estate earlier in the day (Picture: Samuel Atkins/REX)

Moor hounds gather in Aberford, West Yorkshire, before setting off on an annual Boxing Day hunt (Picture: Asadour Guzelian)

When approached by Metro.co.uk, Richard Whitaker, the owner of Hellwood Racing Stables, said he did not know of the incident.

A spokesperson from West Yorkshire Police said they ‘had received information in relation to alleged illegal hunting on December 24 and are currently assessing the information.’

They added that the death of a kitten had not been reported.

The alleged incident comes days after a man was accused of swinging a dead fox against a car being driven by hunt saboteurs on Boxing Day.

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