Warwickshire Hunt hit by bad weather

Dec 28 2009 by Andy Richards, Birmingham Mail

THE weather foiled the hopes of Midland huntsmen and women, with their Boxing Day meeting having to be cancelled because large areas of countryside was still frozen.

The Warwickshire Hunt was to hold its traditional meeting at Upton House, a National Trust property ten miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon.

They moved to a nearby field for a time, but the conditions put paid to any hunting.

Meanwhile Environment Secretary Hilary Benn kicked off a campaign to support the fox-hunting ban amid fears from supporters of the legislation that a Tory government would scrap it.

In a sign of how concerned the anti-hunting lobby is about the future of the ban, Mr Benn spearheaded an awareness-raising drive about the Conservatives’ plans.

The campaign, urging people to demonstrate their support at www.backtheban.com, cames as opponents of the 2004 anti-hunt law stepped up protests at traditional Boxing Day outings.

It will be seen as another attempt by Labour to stress the dividing lines between themselves and the Tories ahead of next year’s general election. The campaign is supported by the actors Patrick Stewart, Jenny Seagrove and Tony Robinson.

Conservative leader David Cameron has promised a free vote on the repeal of the Hunting Act, saying he believes it “doesn’t make sense”.