(Updated 10/03/01)

KC Chairman in hospital

SSPCA President resigns in protest at opposition to hunting

LADY JOHNSTONE has resigned as President of the SSPCA over its increasingly hostile and ‘blinkered and uniform’ views over foxhunting.

Her comments were welcomed by the Countryside Alliance which predicted further resignations.

In her resignation letter, she said: “The society’s latest aim has been for more co-operation with farmers and country people, but the hunting issue has become inextricably bound up with the protection of rural communities’ rights and privileges.

“The now well-documented alliance of the SSPCA with the anti-hunting faction is making it increasingly difficult to garner this support.”

Lord Watson’s private member’s Bill, which is before the Scottish Parliament, aims to outlaw all forms of hunting with dogs in Scotland. The SSPCA said it regretted Lady Johnstone’s resignation but could not agree with her comments.

A spokesman said last week: “It has been our policy for eight or nine years to oppose hunting with dogs. For us it is purely an animal welfare issue and that is where we have to agree to differ with Lady Johnstone.”

Fighting gang jailed

FOUR MEN were jailed last week after admitting their role in a dog fighting ring broken by RSPCA undercover inspectors. A court in Mansfield heard that seven Pit Bull Terriers were found with cuts and injuries following a raid on a make-shift ‘pit’ in a disused trailer in Nottinghamshire.

Kenneth Langan, 32, of Portslade, East Sussex, Jeremy Brown, 46, or Chesterfield, Derbys, and Ryan Nuttall, 29, of Mansfield, Notts, were jailed for four months and Anthony Mullen, 43, of Northfield, Birmingham, for three.

Newark changes

AT NEWARK & Notts Agricultural Society Open show on Saturday May 12th 2001, Pointer classes will be judged by Mr G Coupe (Timadon) and AV Terrier classes will be judged by Mr R Tripconey (Pentroyic).

Beagle theft

A MAN appeared before Ashford Magistrates last week charged with handling one of the 47 Beagles stolen by animal rights activists from the Wye Beagles Hunt Kennels near Ashford in Kent. Julian Greensides, 35, of Bristol was bailed by magistrates.