A police investigation has been launched following the death of a fox during the annual Fitzwilliam New Year’s Day Hunt.

Officers were in attendance at the hunt, an annual event which starts in Wansford, in order to ensure there was no breach of the peace.

Once the hunt reached Elton, at about 2pm officers were made aware that a fox had been killed and have since launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.

Sergeant Dave Walker said: “We policed the event to ensure both the hunters and the saboteurs could carry out their activity peacefully.

“An investigation has been launched to establish whether the killing was lawful or not, and we have been speaking with a number of independent witnesses, as well as participants of the hunt and the saboteurs.

“We are taking this matter seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation to establish whether a crime has been committed.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Information about hunting and the law can be found here https://www.gov.uk/hunting.