Sickening footage passed to ITV News by the Hunt Saboteurs Association appears to show Somerset’s Seavington Hunt releasing a ‘bagged’ fox in front of the hounds

In the video, shot in March this year, a seedy gang of hunt terriermen are seen taking a sack from one of their quad bikes. An animal – believed to be a fox – is then tipped out, while the uniformed Seavington huntsman rushes forward to encourage the waiting hounds after the fox. The poor animal is then pursued out of shot by the baying pack.

Although rarely filmed, ‘bagging’ foxes is common practice amongst illegal fox hunts who want to keep their hounds ‘in blood’ by ensuring an easy kill. Terriermen dig a fox out of her earth, mutilate the poor animal – usually by slashing her pads – then stuff her into a sack. The fox – injured, terrified…