Scottish hunter would not be aquitted in England or Wales

The Scottish case under which a 'huntsman' was acquitted could not happen in England or Wales, says Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael.

"The Scottish law, the Protection of Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, permits the use of a pack of dogs to chase a fox, provided that at the end the fox is shot, rather than killed by the hounds. The law in England and Wales is different and under the Hunting Act 2004, using dogs to chase fox (or other wild mammals) will be banned in England and Wales from 18 February 2005," said Mr Michael.

The Minister added: "There are some exemptions, tightly drawn in order to prevent abuse. One, for stalking and flushing out, allows no more than two dogs to be used if specific conditions are met, including that the wild mammal is shot as soon as possible after it is flushed out. This will preclude a long chase, with its associated cruelty."