Fury after hunt protesters witness a fox being ripped to pieces in south Warwickshire

Warwickshire Hunt said the death was unpreventable and not deliberate - but campaigners say their video evidence proves otherwise

Video footage by the West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs shows the dogs killing a fox.

Hunt protesters witnessed a fox being ripped to pieces by the Warwickshire Hunt in south Warwickshire.

Their video shows dogs attacking an animal in Chadshunt as huntsmen looked on.

Warwickshire Hunt said that the fox unexpectedly appeared during a trail hunt - but the hunt protesters said the huntsmen deliberately targeted the fox den and looked on "casually and nonchalantly" as the animal was killed.

The Warwickshire Hunt met in Kineton on Monday September 6 for a 'trial' hunt and were filmed by members of the West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs.

Fox hunting is illegal but huntsmen can use dogs for ‘drag’ or ‘trail’ hunting.

A spokesperson for the West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs said: "This was no 'accident', the Warwickshire Hunt can’t claim they accidentally came across this fox.

"There was no pretence at even laying and following a trail."

The spokesperson said that the Warwickshire Hunt know the area well and 'deliberately' headed towards an active fox den.

They added: "He then let his hounds run up and down it until inevitably they found the fox and killed it. At no point prior to the hounds killing the fox did the huntsman or anyone from the hunt stop the hounds.

"Members of the hunt were all happy for the hounds to be running up and down an area that contained a fox den."

"What is most shocking about this apart from the fact that a fox was brutally ripped apart by a pack of hounds is the complete casualness and nonchalance of those involved and watching. No one rushes over to stop the hounds.

"The riders just stand watching before casually moving on to the next bit of land to hunt as if a fox being killed is an everyday normal occurrence”

In response to those claims, Warwickshire Hunt said: “While the Warwickshire Hunt were trail hunting on Monday September 6, it appears that a fox unexpectedly came out of the area beside where trails had been laid beforehand.

"It all happened very suddenly and nobody was able to prevent the unfortunate incident from happening.

"The hunt reported this incident to the police on the day and will assist them with any further enquiries.”