Hunt saboteur 'beaten by gang'

Police have arrested a 23-year-old man after a hunt saboteur was apparently beaten with sticks by a gang of men on quad bikes during a Boxing Day hunt.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association blamed hunt supporters for the alleged attack in Plumpton, East Sussex, which left the victim with “severe injuries” to his hands. He had been monitoring the Southdown and Eridge Hunt from a parked Land Rover, the association said. Tension between the pro- and anti-hunting lobbies has intensified after a reported increase in illegal hunting.

Members of the hunt did not respond to a request for comment.