UK police probe after ‘dead fox hit against van window’

Police in England are investigating after footage emerged appearing to show a dead fox being hit against a van window.

Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs posted video of the incident, saying on social media that it had taken place during a hunt yesterday in Kirk Smeaton, North Yorkshire.

The footage shows a man aggressively swinging a seemingly-dead fox against a van window.

The anti-hunting group, which disrupt hunts in order to prevent harm coming to animals, said the supposed hunt supporters had become aggressive and blocked off their vehicles.

The saboteurs said the men they were filming had become angry and had decided to “smash our window with a roadkill fox whilst also smashing bits off our vehicle”.

North Yorkshire Police said that they are investigating the incident, which is understood to have happened at about 12pm yesterday.

A force spokesman said: “Police are investigating an incident in the Kirk Smeaton area that occurred at about 12pm on 26 December 2019.

“Inquiries are at an early stage.”

Richard Thompson, from the Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hounds, said those seen in the footage were not a part of their hunt.

He added: “We have been assured that these were local people whose appalling actions have brought hunting into disrepute and we sincerely hope they will be held to account.”

Mr Thompson also said that the Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hounds condemns the “utterly despicable behaviour” seen in the video.

Reacting to the footage on social media, some users described the incident as “absolutely shameful”.

Another person said that they were in “absolute disbelief” after seeing the video, which was uploaded yesterday evening.