Hunt refutes link to vandalism

By [jgoodwin]

A DORSET hunt has refuted links being suggested between it and vandalism on an animal rights campaigner's car.

Helen Weeks says she was unable to monitor a meeting of the Cattistock Hunt last week after her car was attacked the previous night.

Hours before the meet was due to take place at Hardington Mandeville, a neighbour called Mrs Weeks to tell her the back window of her car was smashed. The hunt has condemned the attack and refuted any link to the incident.

Fiona Vigar, joint hunt master of the Cattistock Hunt, distanced the hunting community from the incident. She said: "Vandalism like this happens all the time. There is no evidence that this was in any way connected. We don't condone or get involved with this kind of activity.

"Her allegations are a bit far-fetched and to imply Cattistock has any involvement is unfair.

"There is lots of vandalism that happens in the area. She is trying to link everything in with the hunt. The hunt meets three times a week and we are hunting within the law."

Mrs Weeks, who has been campaigning against blood sports for more than a decade, has been the victim of a string of incidents including having the bloody corpse of a fox left on her Peugeot 307 car. On other occasions, she says she has had her car tyres let down and slashed.

As a result of the attacks, she installed CCTV at her home on the advice of police.

Footage from the camera shows two bare-chested men running down the lane where her car was parked on Wednesday night last week.

Mrs Weeks said: "Our dog barked at around ten-past midnight, which he rarely does. My husband looked at the CCTV and saw two men running down the lane.

"Because they were bare-chested we thought they were runners, not people who meant us harm.

"I was planning to monitor the hunt with the car. I believe this action has been taken to prevent me from doing that."

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said they had received a report of the incident and were investigating.