Police have seized a hunt saboteur’s drone after a fox was ‘torn apart’ in Wiltshire.
Officers responded to reports of an illegal fox hunt taking place in the Church Road area of Luckington, near Chippenham, on Friday (6 March).
Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs claim that their drone recorded the “most barbaric” footage of a fox being “torn apart” by the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt hounds.
Allegedly approximately 15 masked hunt supporters surrounded the drone operator’s vehicle ahead of it landing, potentially to remove the evidence.
Wiltshire Police attended the scene, with officers said to have viewed the footage, before seizing the drone.
Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs claim the officer took the drone “at the behest of well-connected hunt staff” – after being told of a second fox being chased by hounds.
In response, a spokesperson for the force said: “We are investigating reports that a fox was killed illegally during a hunt in the Church Road area of Luckington.
“During the incident a drone was seized by a police officer for allegedly being flown illegally, in this case without a line of sight at all times.
“Officers are carrying out an investigation into what happened.”
