Police are investigating after clashes at a Boxing Day hunt in Suffolk, where it is claimed a fox was killed illegally.

The incident took place at the Great Thurlow hunt following days of speculation about whether Theresa May will abandon her general election pledge to grant MPs a free vote on whether to overturn the foxhunting ban.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association posted a picture of a fox it says was illegally killed at the hunt and claimed its members were attacked as they tried to retrieve the dead animal. But a spokeswoman for the hunt blamed the saboteurs for the death, which she said occurred while people were legally trail-hunting.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said: “Around 2pm officers from Suffolk rural crime team were called to attend at the Great Thurlow hunt as a result of an incident being reported between the hunt and hunt observers.

“Officers are currently investigating allegations of offences being committed under the Hunting Act 2004.”

Although foxhunting was banned in 2004, trail-hunting – following an animal-based scent – is legal and for a huntsman to be prosecuted they must be adjudged to have purposely killed a fox. This may require video footage of the hounds being encouraged once a fox is in plain sight.

Lee Moon, spokesman for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, said hunts “flout the ban with impunity”.

The Thurlow hunt spokeswoman said: “Two members of hunt staff were stopping hounds from following a fox that had jumped up in front of them while they were legally trail-hunting. The saboteurs turned the fox straight back into the hounds which unfortunately then killed it. The police have been informed.”



The Countryside Alliance claimed that about 250,000 people were out participating in – or supporting – the Boxing Day hunts.

After reports that the prime minister is preparing to drop her commitment to a vote on overturning the foxhunting ban, Labour has urged her to confirm whether it is true. Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: “Fox hunting is cruel and barbaric. The government must permanently rule out any plans for a vote on overturning the ban.”