Hunt extremists target MP

JUNIOR DEFRA minister Ben Bradshaw, has received a death threat from pro-hunt extremists, reports The Times.

The message was discovered on an answer phone at his constituency office in Exeter and has prompted the police to review protection of anti-hunt MPs in the run-up to the general election, widely expected to be in May.

“I did not hear the message myself but it was clear they were out to get me,” Mr Bradshaw told the paper.

Staff at his constituency office who heard the message were said to be frightened by the threats made by a male voice and were left feeling distraught.

According to the paper Mr Bradshaw decided to speak out of the threats despite fears that it might spur further action.

He is said to concerned for his civil servants and aides who he fears may also be targeted.

“I‘ve had fake blood thrown over me in the anti-Kosovo war protest and an offal bomb thrown at me by hunt protestors and now this death threat,” said the minister.

“This goes with the territory and anyone in public life is aware that they are vulnerable because we are democratically elected politicians and we are accessible,” he added.

The paper also reports on the apparently negligible effect on fox deaths following the introduction of the hunting ban.

According to the Countryside Alliance 157 foxes were killed by 156 hunts in the first week after the ban, believed to be a similar amount to that killed before the introduction of the ban.

The alliance has acknowledged that 37 foxes were killed accidentally when hounds inadvertently picked up the scent of a real fox, but it added that this was unintentional and all hunts had acted within the law.