Thanks to a local tipoff, we were able to pay a midweek visit to the Dulverton Farmers Hunt, who were gathering on the side of the road at Hilltown by Mariansleigh for an evening cubbing meet.
They were busy tucking into their sausage rolls when we arrived. Their facial expressions quickly morphed into some of the most sullen scowls we’ve seen in a while! Fred Allibone turned to his followers and said “sorry folks!” and within minutes the hunt had packed up and gone home. The wildlife in that area was safe for another day.
The hound lorry returned to the kennels and we went to make sure they didn’t try to sneak out again. We had just parked up on the side of the road down from the kennels when one of the hunt came out to inform us that she was calling the police because we were “intimidating” them by just being there, and “they normally come out pretty quickly when we call them!”
Of course we had to stick around to witness the promised rapid response. After all, Devon’s wildlife criminals do seem to have the police on speed dial (which tells you everything about their level of impunity). So we settled in for our own picnic of biscuits and vegan sausage rolls by the side of the road.
An hour and a half later two police cars with three officers showed up. They had a brief word with us, stated that “the hunt have said they don’t mind you watching them hunting – they just don’t want you parked near the kennels”, but acknowledged we weren’t breaking the law by being there. It has to be said: for a hunt that supposedly don’t mind us watching their illegal bloodsport, they did pack up in record speed when we showed up at the meet!
Although their call to the police didn’t have the hunt’s desired result on this occasion, questions have to be asked about what lies the hunt told for three officers to be dispatched to them when victims of serious crime in Devon often struggle to get any kind of police response (or alternatively why the police deemed their call to be worthy of a response at all). When we pointed out the actual crime that would have been committed that evening if we hadn’t showed up, police told us they didn’t have the resources to police that aspect.
Shortly before sunset we headed home. To be honest, it was difficult to finish our picnic so close to the extremely unpleasant smell of rotting flesh wafting out of the kennels, where the hunt run their fallen stock business.
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