BBC news.

Bloody marvellous.



"The defendants were hunting for sport and recreation to continue their way 
of life and are disingenuous in attempting to deceive me into believing that 
they were exempt from hunting."

The LAC had played the court video evidence of 20 deer being chased with 
dogs at a hunt meet at Longstone Hill, Somerset, last February.

Richard Furlong, representing the League, had told the court: "They made no 
attempt to call the dogs off.

"The facts of this case are that no reasonable person could have believed 
this was exempt from the Hunting Act.

"They made no attempt to control the dogs."

Robbie Marsland, UK director of the International Fund Against Animal 
Cruelty (IFAW), welcomed the decision.

He said: "This is the second time that the league has taken and won a 
private prosecution and IFAW congratulates them for that.

"In the light of this ruling it is very difficult to see how anyone could go 
out stag hunting in the belief that they are acting lawfully.

"The Hunting Act is showing its teeth. There have been a number of 
prosecutions under the Act and more are in the pipeline, including one being 
taken by Avon and Somerset Police against the Devon and Somerset Staghounds, 
expected later this summer."



Pete