Legal bid to ban Felpham hunt protestors

Crawley and Horsham Hunt is seeking an injunction to ban protestors from thousands of acres of private estate and farm land.

The hunt is suing the West Sussex Wildlife Protection Group and its principal activists, Simon and Jaine Wilde, who live in Felpham.

The case was due to have started on Mondaybut the judge set to lead the hearing, Mr Justice Ross Cranston, ruled himself out unexpectedly after it had emerged he had spoken out against hunting in his former role as an MP.

It is expected that it will be least three months before the case can be rescheduled.

The hunt has been backed by landowners and supported by the Countryside Alliance and the Masters of Foxhounds Association. The case is being brought under the Protection from Harassment Act.

The hunt claims it has more than 100 hours of video footage to prove its argument that members, supporters and landowners are being subjected to trespass and harassment.

It insists it has been operating within the law since the ban on hunting came into force and is not seeking to ban objectors from public land, footpaths and highways.

The wildlife group says it has evidence that the hunt has broken the law.

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