Understand the Hunting Act in England and Wales, why monitoring matters, and what recent court reports tell us about illegal hunting.
The Hunting Act 2004 applies in England and Wales. Since 18 February 2005, hunting a wild mammal with a dog has been an offence unless an exemption in the Act applies. The Act also creates offences relating to hare coursing.
There are tightly defined exemptions, with conditions attached. The presence of hounds alone does not establish that an offence has been committed. What people and dogs are doing, and the evidence of their actions, matter.
See the Crown Prosecution Service guidance and GOV.UK guidance on hunting mammals. This is a general introduction, not advice about an individual case.
Trail hunting is described as following a pre-laid scent rather than a living animal. A claim that an event is a trail hunt does not authorise otherwise unlawful hunting of a wild mammal.
The government consulted on proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales in 2026. Its update of 10 September said the response summary would be published later in the year. A proposal or consultation is not itself a new ban.
Read the government consultation and current updates.
These court reports show that unlawful hunting continues despite the ban. They concern particular defendants and incidents; they are not a claim that everyone attending a hunt has broken the law.
Eggesford huntsman Jason Marles admitted hunting a wild mammal with dogs at Exeter Magistrates’ Court. The court heard that hounds pursued a fox and he made no attempt to call them back. He was fined £500, with £285 costs.
The report also records that hunting charges against another individual were withdrawn.
Read the Okehampton Times reportStowe Beagles kennel huntsman Phillip Kennedy pleaded guilty to hunting a wild mammal with dogs after a hare was chased and killed in November 2025. ITV reported a £258 fine, £585 court costs and a £103 victim surcharge.
The prosecution followed drone footage supplied by a member of the public. The linked report contains distressing footage.
Read the ITV News reportBenjamin Halsall was convicted after a fox was pursued and killed by hounds near Idlicote in October 2023. ITV reported that video recorded by hunt saboteurs was shown in court. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.
Warwickshire Hunt Limited was acquitted of the same offence. The conviction concerned Halsall personally.
Read the ITV News reportChristopher Mardles was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to section 20 wounding. He had ridden his horse at protesters during a Pytchley Hunt meet in 2020, seriously injuring a man.
This is a violence case, separate from the Hunting Act convictions above.
Read the ITV News reportCourt reporter Rory Cassidy reported that Claire Bellamy was found guilty at Paisley Sheriff Court under the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023. The case concerned activity in Kirkton Wood on 4 January 2025.
Sentencing was still to come in the report. This case falls under Scottish legislation, not the Hunting Act 2004 used in England and Wales.
Read the Scotlight reportThe reports below concern warnings or charges, not convictions. A charge is an allegation that has yet to be decided by a court.
The newspaper reported that Chris Gibbons and Martin Watts had been charged with hunting a wild mammal with dogs, citing police confirmation. Their first appearance was listed for 22 October 2026.
As at this page’s review on 7 October, these are reported charges, not convictions. The allegations remain to be determined by the court.
Read the West Somerset Free Press reportAn official police disclosure identifies North Cornwall Hunt as the recipient of a Community Protection Warning and lists locations including St Kew Highway, Blisland, St Breward and Rough Tor.
A warning is not a criminal conviction. This is separate from the Hunting Act court cases above.
Read the Devon & Cornwall Police reportA law only helps if suspected breaches can be investigated. Footage and witnesses have played a part in the cases above. That is why we monitor local hunts, submit evidence of illegal hunting to police and encourage witnesses to report what they have seen.
Our work also includes practical help for wildlife. State of Nature 2023 documents serious national declines. Those declines have many causes; they don’t all result from hunting. Our view is that avoidable harm to wildlife should be challenged alongside work to restore habitats.
How to report a concernSources checked 7 October 2026. Contact details, services and legal developments can change; follow the linked organisations for current information.
