The government is facing fresh calls to strengthen trail hunting laws ahead of Boxing Day parades across the UK.
Activists are once again urging government ministers to close a hunting “loophole”.
The calls to tighten hunting laws comes ahead of the many Boxing Day parades expected to be held nationwide today, and comes after the League Against Cruel Sports recently revealed there were 303 combined incidents of hunt havoc – which is defined as trespass, road interference, and disturbing animals – between the dates 1 November and 7 December.
Boxing Day is widely considered to be the biggest day in the hunting calendar, with more than 200 hunts expected to parade through UK high streets, before they head out to the countryside.
Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales under the Hunting Act 2004, but hounds are still allowed to follow a scented cloth instead – which is called trail hunting.
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Although more a total of 438 convictions under the Hunting Act have been secured over a decade – with 42 secured last year – the League Against Cruel Sports said incidents of illegal fox hunting have still been recorded between the period of 1 November and 7 December.
The animal charity revealed that it received 78 reports of a fox being visibly pursued, eight reported kills, and three suspected kills.
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The government is facing fresh calls to strengthen trail hunting laws ahead of Boxing Day parades / Credit: Ashley van Haeften (via Flickr)
League Against Cruel Sports campaigns chief Emma Judd argued their figures show hunting has a “negative impact” on rural communities.
She said it’s “time for change”.
“People will see the hunts out today and not know that behind the finery is a so-called sport that sees public lives endangered on roads and railways, livestock worried by out-of-control hounds, and in some cases domestic pets killed,” Ms Judd added.
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“Only by strengthening the law on hunting can communities, wildlife and rural values be protected.”
Between November 1 and December 7 this year, 303 reports of either suspected #IllegalHunting or #HuntHavoc have been reported. That's in just five and a half weeks.
But Polly Portwin, head of the Countryside Alliance’s Campaign for Hunting – which is calling for the bloodsport to return – argued that now is not the time to be discussing hunting legislation.
She said: “There have been hundreds of thousands of days of legal trail hunting carried out by hunts since the Hunting Act came into force.
“Only someone with extremely warped priorities could think that with the country facing a cost of living crisis, the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and political instability that now is a good time to start discussing hunting legislation.”
Activists are once again urging government ministers to close a hunting “loophole” / Credit: Kentish Plumber (via Flickr)
Labour said it believes trail hunting is being used as a “smokescreen” for the illegal hunting of foxes.
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Shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon said the government must “do more to close the loopholes” and “consign hunting to the history books”, adding that: “Labour is the party of animal welfare and in government, we will go further to protect animal welfare by putting an end to trail hunting.”
Countryside Alliance chair Nick Herbert accused Labour of harbouring a “pointless political vendetta against hunting” and that the party’s position on it is “utterly illogical.”
“Labour is drawing battle lines in the countryside when it should be trying to unite the country,” he added.
At this time, the UK government appears to have no plans to strengthen the legislation.
Addressing the fresh calls from anti-hunting activists, a government spokesman said: “The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs, and anyone who believes that an offence has taken place should report the matter to the police.
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“Those found guilty under the act are subject to the full force of the law.”
Salford man jailed after pointing loaded gun at police and members of public while on the run
Emily Sergeant
A man from Salford has been jailed for more than a decade after he pointed a loaded gun at police officers and members of the public while he was on the run.
Jay Conway, of Leicester Walk in Salford, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (6 March 2026) where he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and assault of an emergency worker, as well as also pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.
His sentencing comes after officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Salford Challenger team were patrolling Albert Park in plain clothes on Tuesday 20 May 2025.
They spotted a man riding an e-bike and wearing a balaclava, and attempted to detain him there and then, but despite their best efforts, he fled the area, brandishing what officers believed to be a pistol in the process.
The suspect – which was later identified as Conway – stole a bike and cycled on to Great Clowes Street, where a neighbourhood officer heading towards the incident attempted to detain him but he resisted. The officer deployed his Taser but he drew the pistol for a second time, pointing it at police and also at a member of the public.
Conway then dropped the firearm – which police later confirmed as a viable, loaded pistol – and a mobile phone, and fled for a second time.
Thanks to a ‘fast-paced and thorough’ investigation by specialist GMP teams, involving forensic analysis of the phone and CCTV which identified Conway as the suspect, he was arrested by armed officers the following day in Whalley Range.
“Nobody – a police officer or a member of the public – should be confronted by a gun,” said Detective Superintendent Simon Moyles, following Conway’s sentencing.
“These were frightening incidents and Conway is clearly a dangerous individual who is rightly serving a prison sentence. We need to commend and recognise our officers who showed immense bravery in trying to stop Conway.
“Guns have no place on our streets and the work we are doing in Salford, and across Greater Manchester, in relation to firearms incidents continues.
“If you know anyone who is using, or possesses, an illegal firearm, we urge you to get in touch with us as, for each firearm we recover, that’s potentially a life saved.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Nearly 300 new ‘social rent’ homes given go-ahead as part of £500m Wythenshawe regeneration
Emily Sergeant
Nearly 300 new homes are set to be built in Wythenshawe as part of a wider £500 million regeneration scheme.
In case you didn’t know, Placemaker Muse and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group submitted three separate planning applications for 422 new affordable homes back in December 2025, following a public consultation with locals.
Now, works on two of the three new communities can begin, with the third expected to get the green light in the coming weeks.
Brotherton House – which is a former office building – will be transformed into 216 new homes, including an extra care apartment building with 109 homes for people in later life and those living with dementia, while C2 The Birtles, also currently retail and office space, is situated next to the former market square and will be replaced with 81 one and two-bedroom apartments.
Alpha House, which is currently awaiting a planning decision, has now been demolished and will be rebuilt to provide 125 one and two-bedroom apartments – including 16 wheelchair accessible homes.
According to developers, all the homes will be ‘affordable, high-quality, and energy-efficient’, with additional outdoor and communal spaces to promote health and wellbeing.
The approval given to build these new homes forms part of the wider ‘ambitious’ plan to transform Wythenshawe over the next decade.
The wider masterplan for Wythenshawe will see up to 2,000 new homes created over the next 10 to 15 years, which will complement the wider investment currently underway in Civic – supported by £20 million of Government funding, and £11.9 million from Manchester City Council.
Nearly 300 new homes have been given the go-ahead as part of a £500m Wythenshawe regeneration scheme / Credit: Muse (Supplied)
New community facilities in the town include the Culture Hub – which is now underway – the Food Hall, currently awaiting a planning decision, new workspaces, and improvements to the outdoor spaces in Civic, all designed to create a ‘greener and more welcoming’ town centre.
“For us, this is about delivering the truly affordable homes local people have told us they need,” explained Andrea Lowman, who is the Executive Director of Development at Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.
“Every one of these homes will be for social rent, giving more families, older residents and people with additional needs the opportunity to live well in the heart of Wythenshawe.
“As the local social housing provider, we are focused not just on building new homes but on creating sustainable communities and making sure this investment strengthens the town centre for existing and future residents alike.”
Emily Sergeant -
26th December 2022 
