Fox hunters to appear in court (From The Argus)

Fox hunters to appear in court

11:00am Tuesday 23rd August 2011 in News By Rebecca Evans

Four people are to appear in court in the first fox hunting prosecution in Sussex.

The quartet, who are all members of the Crawley and Horsham Hunt, are accused of illegally hunting a fox with a dog contrary to the Hunting Act 2004.

Sussex Police launched an investigation after videos allegedly showing a fox being killed during a hunt were passed to the force by members of the public.

Joint master of the Crawley and Horsham Hunt Henry James Hawksfield, 58, of Bines Road, Partridge Green, near Horsham, Rachel Holdsworth of Rock Road, Washington, near Storrington, Neil Millard, 44, of Dragons Lane, Shipley, near Horsham, and Andrew Phillis, 50, of Halwell, Totnes, in Devon, have been summonsed to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court to face four charges under Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004.

They are due to appear in court on Thursday.

The offences are said to have occurred at meets of the Crawley and Horsham Hunt on January 18 in Southwater, on January 25 in Shermanbury and on February 15 in Twineham and Shermanbury