Video: Fox hunt hounds run amok on Ed Miliband’s property and village near Banbury

Locals in Claydon reported the incident to animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports.

They shared footage of the hounds on the private land in Oxfordshire - where Ed Miliband owns one of three cottages.

They also shared doorbell camera footage of the hunt riding through the village itself.

Some claim the hunt, which said it was following a pre-laid trail, was trespassing on a number of properties and in other areas, such as a public park, where a trail could not have been laid.

However, the Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase who were out that day in Claydon say that their activities were in accordance with the Hunting Act.

The hunt admits that some of its dogs had strayed off the trail they were following, but says they retrieved them in minutes and that it was not their intention to cause alarm or distress.

One resident who reported the incident to the League and who wishes to remain anonymous, believes that Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase could not have been trail hunting, as they claimed.

She said: “To see the hunt running riot like this was very upsetting and they either had no control over their dogs or they were hunting animals, their behaviour being entirely inconsistent with the excuse they use that they are trail hunting.

“Having hunt hounds so close to our house where we have cats was really scary as I know from experience what they can do.”

During the Mollington Road incident, although not caught on film, residents reported a muntjac deer fleeing from the hunt towards a busy road.

Another resident reported watching a fox in Claydon village also running from the hounds.

Chris Luffingham, acting chief executive at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “This incident should not have happened, 20 years after this so-called sport was supposedly banned, and the outrage from local residents shows hunts are not wanted in rural communities.

“The current government, which Ed Miliband represents, has promised the most comprehensive animal welfare package in a generation so we are calling for it to urgently set out a timetable of measures for fox hunting laws to be strengthened.”

A spokesperson for the Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase said that hounds were trail hunting in the area on the day in question, adding: “Some hounds entered the village having strayed off the scent trail that had been laid for them to follow, but our professional members of staff retrieved them within minutes.

“It is never our intention to disrupt anyone’s daily activities or cause distress, and representatives from the hunt attended Claydon’s recent Extraordinary Parish Council meeting to apologise in person, seeking to reassure residents that this was an exceptional occurrence.

“If hounds deviate from their intended trail, we review our procedures, and that process is ongoing. As agreed during the meeting, we will be writing to the Parish Council Chairman shortly.”

“Our hounds participate in lawful trail hunting activities four days a week throughout the season and incidents of this nature are incredibly rare. We have offered to bring our hounds to the village to reassure the community of their harmlessness and invited residents to visit our kennels to learn more about trail hunting.”

The League Against Cruel Sports approached Ed Miliband for comment, but is yet to receive a response.