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A 20-year-old Exeter City councillor has opened up about his double-life as one of Devon's controversial hunt saboteurs.

Since his election in 2016, Cllr Lewis Keen's average Monday to Friday consists of licencing and scrutiny meetings, site visits, meeting with his constituents and sifting through piles of paperwork.

But once the weekend arrives, he dons his boots, camouflage gear and joins those with a common cause against illegal fox hunting and other rural blood sports.

Speaking with Devonlive.com, Cllr Keen wants to 'out' himself publicly as a member of Devon County Hunt Saboteurs.

He feels it is vitally important to speak candidly about what he does before enraged fox hunters exploit knowledge of his political career.

"Yes I'm a councillor on the weekdays, but I do surprising things at the weekend," admits Cllr Keen, "I've been ruining their illegal fun, basically."

"Really, I should not have to do this. I don't want to be there. But the appropriate authorities are continually failing to uphold the law."

He feels particularly strongly about suggestions from critics that he and his fellow hunt sabs are out to provoke violence.

"Firstly, I can only speak for my group. It is all lies that we are provoking violence, and it is ridiculous to think that we would go up against men on horses.

"Our group is 80 per cent women. This is against guns, dogs and men on horses. Many of [those joining illegal hunts] have convictions for assault and criminal records.

"How stupid to think we'd cause an incident just to get our arses kicked.

"I hate going out. You never know when you or your friends will get seriously injured. It's also very upsetting.

"Animals can scream.

"A few weeks ago I witnessed a beagle hunt kill, the image of it looking at me whilst it was ripped apart imprinted on my mind for weeks. Every time I closed my eyes all I could see was something utterly traumatic and heart breaking."

“If you see something live ripped apart and a person is laughing at you for being upset by that... I have better things to do on a Saturday. "

And to the Labour member, it is neither a ‘class issue’ nor a ‘Labour versus Tory’ issue. He says it is purely an ‘animal cruelty issue.’

"There are many in the Conservative Party who are against animal cruelty and to paint it as a political issue is not fair on the numerous Tories who care just as strongly as I do about animal welfare. "

An average 'sab'-Saturday will involve members tracing where the 'blow off' point of the hunt will be, at the latest moment possible as to not encourage the hunt to switch their plans.

One of the main aims is to prove a huntsman has intent before you are able to provide the evidence to police and get a conviction.

The other is to ensure the fox escapes with its life.

Cllr Keen explains: "We will follow the hunt, always filming, always trying to keep up. Our aims are preserving life. Whenever they go to kill an animal we will intervene.

"Basically, we copy the huntsman. They will control their hounds by noises and horn calls. We replicate them to confuse the hounds."

Cllr Keen, who represents the ward of St David’s, wasn't always firmly on the side of the sabs.

Growing up in a rural area on the border of London and Kent, he has memories of being taken to hunts by his parents.

As a child he was initially impressed by the red coats and the pomp.

However, he later began to have a "growing realisation” of the cruelty linked to the practices of illegal hunting.

He questioned the ethics of what some hunts do and, when he moved to study at the University of Exeter, made contact with Devon County Hunt Sabs through their Facebook page.

He says the tipping point had been footage of an English huntsman "making sexually suggestive comments to a hunt sab."

"Fundamentally, these people are breaking the law. What they are doing is sadistic and egregious. When it comes down to it, it is a poncy way of abusing animals and no different to dog fighting.

"Just because they have a posh accent they think they are above the law. It's like the Wild West.

"As people living in this society we have overwhelmingly decided what they are doing is wrong.

"It is normal to find animal abuse abhorrent, and it is quite normal to say I want to put a stop to it.

"But we have to ask ourselves: 'What are we doing about it?'"

Unlike other sabs, Cllr Keen has refused to cover his face and hide his identity.

He adds that none of the tactics deployed by his group 'are illegal' and trespassing is not an issue.

"I don't wear a face cover because why should I? I am not breaking the law, I am not abusing animals.

"If you heard or saw a neighbour abusing their pet animal, you would go and help that animal."

He says his extra-curricular activities are having no impact on his role as a councillor.

It is public knowledge among his council colleagues, and has never been challenged on it.

The only time it has interfered was when he "struggled to cope with the consequences of nearly experiencing serious injury" after allegedly being 'ran over' by a huntsman in an Audi at the end of 2017.

An ongoing criminal case, he claims he rolled over the bonnet of the car 'multiple times.'

"If someone is running for office, I think they should be very transparent about what they do in their spare time and what their principles are.

"I try and make unbiased decisions, but I would declare an interest if there was a matter which involved somebody who was a hunter."

He encourages anyone who has issue with what he does to contact him for a civil discussion.

Tensions have mounted amongst local hunts in recent months. They explicitly deny breaking the Hunting Ban law.

Last month it is claimed 46-year-old Sid Leigh, of Bodmin, suffered a broken nose, a hoof print to the head and extensive bruising after being punched in an altercation with a hunt.

He is also said to have been trampled on by a horse during an altercation between members of South Devon Animal Rights and Dart Vale and South Pool Harriers on Saturday, January 13, at Gullet Farm in South Pool, near Kinsgbridge.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “All allegations connected with hunts are assessed and investigated appropriately. This includes offences against the act, damage, assault and disorder, and we share information, investigations and best practice with other forces and agencies.

“As part of routine policing, we do work with our communities who have an interest in hunt activity, and last weekend we had officers attend a hunt in Mid Devon.

“It is clear that whilst these incidents can and do appear on social media, they still remain under reported to the police. We are unable to investigate incidents that are only discussed on social media, they must be reported to us via our official channels.

“We would encourage witnesses to any offences to share with us unedited footage and images, and be prepared to give statements to allow us to investigate any allegation of criminality.

“We are aware of the sensitivities and the high-emotions that are linked to these incidents. We wish to reassure you that we will act impartially and promptly to any incident reported to us.”