Sab groups from Brighton, Hastings and Croyden were at the South Down and Eridge Hunt yesterday to prevent the ritual slaughter of wildlife that takes place every Saturday. The day itself was one of frustration with the usual game of cat and mouse ensuing and the hunt remaining elusive.

Throughout the day sabs were continuously boxed in by support and stewards on publc roads, harrassed and verball abused. This sort of behaviour comes as no suprise and is a regular occurance. However towards the end of the day at around 3oclock a car full of boys arrived and were spotted 'tooling up'. Upon arrival all of the stewards cameras were put away as the lads tried to get a reaction from sabs. Clearly these people had been hired by the hunt to come and threaten sabs in an attempt to provoke a reaction and give an excuse for a good old fashioned sab/bumpkin fist fight in a field. All of this was caught on film which proved vital in managing to identify the perptrators of the attack that was to follow.

Shortly after 3oclock the hunt hacked back to the meet to pack up. The sabs were grateful that violence had been avoided and sat down with the vehicles in a nearby residential area to chat and eat cake. The car with the 'boys' in then suddenly appeaed at the top of the cul de sac with all occupants in balaclavas. They blocked the road and then fired two metal bolt projectiles fom a sling shot at the sabs. One narrowly missed a sabs head and hit the back of the landrover. The second hit a sab in the arm. The event was rather chaotic and the car skidded away as sabs scurried for cover.

The car then drove past again accompnied by a white transit van that had been spotted earlier and aroused suspicion. The van had occupants in the front wearing balaclavas and all shouted from the windows as sabs tried to recover from the event. Thankfully they were not seen again as who knows how many people they may have had in the back of their van. The police were called and witness statements were taken as was one of the projectiles. The cops were shown footage of the lads from earlier in the day and instantly recognised the ringleader. We shall wait and see if any arrests follow. The sab who was hit was thankfully ok though in a great deal of pain with a bruised and swollen elbow.

Hunt violence is on the increase in the South East. Three weeks prior to yesterdays events and at the same meet with the same hunt a crazed supporter attemted to smash a boulder through the drivers window. Last week at the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent Hunt a sab was pushed to the floor and her head split open requiring medical attention.

We will not back down and we will not give up in our defence of wildlife.