Cover-up claim made by MP as 'secret protocol' between police and Warwickshire Hunt will be replaced with new public 'code of behaviour'

The ‘secret protocol’ between the police and Warwickshire Hunt will be replaced by a new ‘code of behaviour’ – which will be made public.

Warwickshire Police have come under fire in recent months after they dropped a proposed road safety order against the hunt and instead signed a protocol with Warwickshire Hunt which was never made public.

But this week, the force says the protocol will be replaced with a public ‘code of behaviour’.

We have been reporting on this issue for many months – and recently Channel 4 News has also put pressure on the police over this issue.

In a recent programme, Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western said the dropping of the protocol ‘does really have a whiff of a cover up’ – a claim Warwickshire Police have not responded to.The force also said the protocol has now concluded - but Mr Western said: “I just fear they are making this up as they go along.”

A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police said: “Before the start of the 2024/25 season, we will publish a public code of behaviour setting out the expectations on anyone taking part in trail hunting activities in the county and to ensure we keep all members of our communities safe.

“We will continue to balance the rights of residents, those who wish to legally trail hunt and those who wish to legally protest.

“We look forward to working positively with all interested parties during the 2024/25 season.”

The police also said they received four reports of criminal offences against Warwickshire Hunt.

“One of these is now with the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision and the other three are minor offences with the investigations due to conclude in the next few weeks,” said the police.

The added: “During the 2023/24 hunt season we have been engaging with all parties involved and recorded all reported incidents. While some of these reports submitted have contained video evidence, often this has been short or edited clips which creates difficulties in using these for evidential purposes.

“Some of the reports were from Warwickshire residents, however in many cases the reports were from people outside the county who were not directly affected by the activity, or the incidents did not occur within Warwickshire.”

This last sentence has been met with anger by both the West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs (WMHS) and Mr Western, as it suggests that reports and evidence from people outside the county (including the WMHS) will not be taken on board – something Warwickshire Police said is not the case.

Warwickshire Hunt maintains that they have remained within the law and only carried out trail hunting, which is permitted since the fox hunting ban in 2004.

The British Hound Sports Association said those caught breaking the law across the UK should be prosecuted - and indeed those caught on camera in the UK 'have been dealt with very swiftly and very robustly', said managing director Oliver Hughes.

"We are horrified as well and that is not acceptable in any society in any way, shape or form," he added.