AN ANTI-HUNT campaigner has criticised a county hunt group after hunt riders and hounds were seen causing "carnage" on a main road.
Lynn Sawyer, a member of Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs, was tracking a meet by Worcestershire Hunt on the B4090 between Bradley Green and Feckenham on Wednesday afternoon (November 6).
Ms Sawyer said: "It was carnage. Hounds were hitting the B4090 at full pelt and vehicles were having to slam on their brakes."
Ms Sawyer said the hounds ending up by the road caused her to suspect the group were hunting foxes - but the hunt says it was complying with the law and the problem arose after a hound got caught in a fence.
Since a ban on fox hunting came into force in February 2005, trail hunting was developed as a non-lethal alternative to mimic the traditional hunt.
Worcestershire Hunt has said its activities on Wednesday complied with the law.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire Hunt said: "The Worcestershire Hunt conducts lawful hound exercise and trail hunting activities to comply with the Hunting Act 2004.
"While exercising the hounds on Wednesday, our professional staff members had gathered the hounds up to safely cross a road when it became apparent one was caught up on a fence.
"Our professional and compassionate staff - for whom animal welfare is a priority - immediately freed the hound and there was minimum disruption to other road users.
"We can confirm that no hounds were injured at all during this time, however, we would like to express our apologies to anybody who may have been inconvenienced by our presence as we crossed the road and we thank them for their patience."
Ms Sawyer said: "The whole point of fox hunting is that the hounds go after the fox -and these hounds will go through anything.
"They have no road sense, no sense of danger.
"Even if you take out the fox hunting element of it, the whole thing just doesn't work in today's landscape - animals shouldn't be used in this way."
Footage taken by Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs shows one hound being pulled from a fence.
Ms Sawyer said: "A hound got caught up in the barbed wire fence and when I got there, hunt supporters were pulling it away.
"Fortunately it looked okay."
The incident on the B4090 was also reported to the police that afternoon.
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We received a report of a disturbance on the B4090 on Wednesday (November 6) at around 3pm, involving a group of people on horses and dogs running in the road."
"Officers have attended and following an extensive search of the area the road was found to have been cleared."
Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs was created in 2012 and much of their campaigning is centred on activities in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
Ms Sawyer said: "Sadly, it's another day at the office. We see this all too often.
"There have been several incidents like this already this season, and it only began in September."
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