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ITN Cameraman has to run for life after filming attack on hunt saboteurs

Vegan Betty | 18.02.2005 20:35 | Animal Liberation | Culture

An ITN cameraman had to run for his life to escape with footage of an appalling attack on 8 hunt saboteurs in West Sussex this afternoon (18th February 2005).

On the last day of legal hunting with hounds, a gang of up to 50 Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray hunt supporters and riders attacked the 8 brave saboteurs who had been trying to stop the hunt killing foxes near Petworth Park, Petworth, West Sussex.






Today was their last chance to legally chase and kill foxes before the hunting ban becomes law at midnight tonight.

Led by well known hunt thugs, including some responsible for attacks on saboteurs and their vehicles in the past, the hunt group ambushed the saboteurs late on in the afternoon beating them with fists, boots and sticks, and stealing cameras and camcorders that had recorded some of the violence.

During the clearly pre-arranged attack (sabs had been tipped off a fortnight ago they were to get 'their beating' last Saturday at the Crawley & Horsham hunt), a female sab was headbutted by a large male hunt supporter and a 63 year old protestor had his glasses smashed when punched in the face.

In a shocking example of how the hunt riders were also involved in the attack, one black coated woman rider shouted at the thugs beating one of the sabs on the ground to "get out of the way, I want to ride over him".

The saboteurs were taken to Chichester Hospital for treatment to their injuries and will be making full statements to the police about the attack.

Contact:
Nathan Brown 07815 313181

Notes for Editors: Pictured below are 2 well known hunt thugs from the Chiddingfold and Crawley & Horsham hunts - the one on the left is Adrian Thompson, the current Chiddingfold huntsman, pictured here during an attack on sabs some years ago (When he was terrierman for the Crawley & Horsham hunt). The one on the right is Wayne Spencer who was blamed for his part in an attack on sabs by Thompson, but was never brought to justice as the police said they couldn't locate him. Spencer was one of the thugs leading the attack on sabs today (18th February).

Vegan Betty
- Homepage: http://hsa.enviroweb.org

Comments

Display the following 15 comments

  1. we all want to know — - -
  2. If.......When — N
  3. Sorry to have to point this out but... — qwerty
  4. bloody hell — yikes
  5. Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime — Alex Higgins
  6. Oh, and guess what... — Alex Higgins
  7. Not a policeman in sight... — qwerty
  8. more trolls — your statistics mean shit
  9. Opinion Polls — Bob
  10. What change ? — Hunter
  11. ... — Hermes
  12. Vry pleased — Hunter
  13. What a fuss — Zaskar
  14. Don't make me laugh — Bob
  15. zaskar - just stick to Bristol imc eh? — Anti-Z