Video: Hunt protesters confront Warwickshire Police commissioner over decision to drop order against Warwickshire Hunt

A still from the video by the West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs, who confronted the elected police leader and asked questions about the decision by Warwickshire Police to drop a Community Protection Notice (CPN) against the hunt.

Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Phillip Seccombe says his membership of the Countryside Alliance is in no way a conflict of interest after the police's decision to withdraw an order against Warwickshire Hunt.

Members of West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs (WMHS) confronted the elected police leader and asked questions about the decision by Warwickshire Police to drop a Community Protection Notice (CPN) against the hunt.

Police notice against Warwickshire Hunt dropped at the eleventh hour

They also challenged him over why the protocol agreed between the police and hunt - in place of the CPN - has not been made public and quizzed him over him being a member of the Countryside Alliance, who campaign on behalf of hunts like the Warwickshire Hunt.

Responding to the questions by the WMHS, Mr Seccombe said he hadn’t had any involvement in the decision to drop the CPN and that it was a private agreement between the hunt and the police. He confirmed that he is a member of the Countryside Alliance but didn’t think that there was any conflict of interest.

Mr Seccombe also said while he role is to oversee the police force, he is not in control of operations and that he was not part of the protocol agreement between the police and Warwickshire Hunt.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/JwP5Tgrkiho

On Wednesday December 14, 2022, Warwickshire Police issued a CPN to Warwickshire Hunt after repeated warnings of dangers they were causing on public roads in Warwickshire. The hunt appealed but just before the appeal was due to be heard in court, the CPN was dropped by Warwickshire Police and replaced with a new protocol agreement.

The CPN would have required the Warwickshire Hunt to give the police advance notice of all hunt meets, and details of the times and locations of road crossing points, something the hunt and the Countryside Alliance both said was unfair and disproportionate.

Last year, we published a story where drivers were forced to swerve and brake as the Warwickshire Hunt hounds ran loose across the A422 near Stratford, which is a 50mph road.

The incident happened on November 23 and was filmed by West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs (WMHS). Following the incident, the Warwickshire Hunt did issue an apology.