Essex and Suffolk Hunt is disrupted by hunt saboteurs

A spokesman for the saboteurs, who were joined by the North London Hunt Saboteurs, said they attended a hunt in East Bergholt and successfully disrupted the activity.

But a spokesman for the Essex and Suffolk Hunt, which has permission to use land on Home Farm, said the decision to call it a day came because the ground was so hard.

James Buckle, who took part in the hunt, said the conditions meant they could “barely even lay a trail”.

Hunt - activists allege the hunters were targeting fox cubs, something the hunt denies

A spokesman from the saboteurs, who were joined by the North London Hunt Saboteurs, said the tip-off came from a local.

“Unable to shake the unwelcome sab attention, the huntsman went back and forth and round and round in a small circle… before calling it a day barely two hours after they started,” they said.

Speaking to the Gazette, Mr Buckle claimed the saboteurs were “absolutely no problem at all” and it was, in fact, the conditions which meant the activity was halted early.

Action - an image captured by a saboteur

“Half of the people on horses were children. I doubt we got out of a walk as the ground is just so hard and hideous,” he said.

“We did have a trail out but we hardly even laid it because the ground is just awful at the moment, it’s not good for the hounds really.

“I can’t believe anyone would even say we were hunting fox cubs, to be honest.

“I admit things can go wrong but when they do I will have a sensible conversation about it.

“The lot [saboteurs] that came out on Saturday were absolutely no problem at all. They would be much better getting on horses instead and joining us.”

It is illegal to hunt foxes with a pack of dogs but hunts are permitted to use dogs to simulate hunting, for example drag or trail hunting.