PCC did not influence hunt policing, report finds

Warwickshire's police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said policing of hunt activities in the county is in a "much better place" following an independent review.

Philip Seccombe commissioned the report to look at how the force dealt with Warwickshire Hunt and if his interest influenced decision making.

The hunt was given a community protection notice (CPN) in 2022 which was later withdrawn after a legal settlement was agreed.

The report said Seccombe's interest in the Countryside Alliance, a pro-hunting campaign group, had no impact on how hunting activity was policed in the county.

Seccombe said he thought lessons had been learned by the force following the publication of the report on Wednesday.

The document said that a CPN was served to Warwickshire Hunt following complaints about highways being obstructed and anti-social behaviour in December 2022.

At the time Warwickshire Police had been considered trailblazing as no other forces had used CPNs in this way, the report added.

An appeal was lodged and the CPN was replaced by a legal protocol between the police and the hunt.

The contents of this protocol remained secret until it was published by Warwickshire Police's Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith on Wednesday.

He said questions over the agreement had become a "significant distraction" to the work the police had carried out.

Cathy Scott, from West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs said she felt the hunt had been "emboldened" by the protocol and the actions of the force.

In his conclusion, report author David Preet, an expert in police governance, criticised the force's communication strategy, which had not anticipated the "swell of interest" the story created.

It said the force had determined not to be proactive with the media over the matter "which may not have been the best approach".

Warwickshire Police has been provided with 19 recommendations to improve its response to the issues involved.

Speaking following the publication of the report, Seccombe said: "I think hunt policing is in a much better place now.

He added that he was sure the force "haven't done everything perfectly, there are certainly improvements to be made.

"What my main aim would be is to build up the trust and confidence that our residents can have in our police force."

The PCC was previously forced to deny accepting money from the Countryside Alliance over the issue of trail hunting after comments made by Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western in Parliament, who also described the review as a "sham".

In response to the report, the Warwickshire Hunt said it was pleased to see that the agreement was "dealt with entirely appropriately by all parties".

"The review confirms that the Warwickshire Hunt has acted appropriately, and members of the public can be assured that the hunt will continue to work with the police for the benefit of local communities while conducting their lawful hunting activities," a spokesperson said.

The Countryside Alliance said it was pleased that the report made it "absolutely clear" that Seccombe's membership had no bearing on the policing of the hunt.

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