HSA news release 19th January 2005

Surrey Police allow illegal digging of badger sett to take place

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) drop Aggravated Trespass charges against hunt saboteurs - but only after expert evidence reveals a badger sett was dug into with the full support of Surrey Police.

On the 14th Feb 2004 at the Hampton Estate, Cut Mill, Nr Shackleford, terriermen of the Surrey Union hunt dug out and killed a fox which had sought refuge from the hounds in what appeared to protestors to be a badger sett. Prior to this six anti hunt protesters had been arrested for trying to protect the badger sett and stop the hunt from digging out the fox.

Urgent calls were made to Surrey Badger Group as the protesters thought the hunt were digging into a badger sett. Complaints to the police that the hunt were illegally digging a badger sett were met with the response: "They are allowed to do that and we will call up every available police officer in Surrey to stop you interfering" from one of the senior police officers at the scene.