A HUNT master has apologised to villagers after hounds broke away from their trail scent route and chased through Marnhull after a fox.
Michael Felton, joint master of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt, said he was sorry if the hounds had upset residents by the New Year’s Eve incident.
His apology followed a complaint made by a villager who claimed the hounds had caused alarm as they ran through residential roads off Burton Street.
The villager, who does not want to be identified, said: “A lot of people were really upset and anxious.
“The hounds were running through gardens and trying to scale fences.
“They were not under control and just rampaged through there.
“There weren’t many riders but there were followers on quad bikes. It was mayhem for about half an hour.”
The villager said people had been anxious about their pets’ safety. Some hounds had been seen running through a field of sheep.
Another resident described the incident as chaotic and noisy.
Mr Felton said: “We got slightly out of where we intended to be.
“The hounds follow a trail but it seems they picked up the scent of a fox and went after it.
“There are occasions when foxes jump up and the hounds switch. Hunt staff know if that happens they must stop the hounds at once and get them back on to the trail.”
Mr Felton said he was too far behind the hounds to witness the incident but understood three hunt staff were present and called the hounds away as quickly as possible.
He added: “I apologise without reservation if anybody has been upset by it and we would, of course, make reparation if there has been any damage.
“This sort of thing happens very rarely but I can understand all the hullaballoo would make people jumpy and I am sorry.”
The hunt had set out from Yenston with approximately 80 riders plus people on quadbikes and in vehicles.
Mr Felton said far fewer riders were with the 35 hounds as they reached Marnhull.
He said he had not heard of any damage caused nor a fox being seen in Marnhull.
A spokesman for Dorset Police said they had gone to Marnhull after receiving a call from a member of the public. No offences had been committed.
Dee Adcock
http://www.thisisdorset.co.uk/Hunt-says-sorry-Marnhull-hullaballoo/story-14345950-detail/story.html
Bet he said sorry with tongue in cheek. I don’t know how many times I have said that it is not possible to drag hunt as the dogs will always pick up the scent of a fox as is no doubt what this scum want. Time to ban hunting and shooting for good it is old fashioned outdated which only dirty filthy cruel bastards want to do. Most people hate this and it should be stopped, pity these people don’t have anything better to do they really are a very sad bunch of cretins.
Forgot to put I hope these people are made to pay for any damage done to peoples gardens and also they should pay a substancial amount for the stress caused to the village people. If it happened near me I would sue them for every penny they had.