Fox 'killed during trail hunt' in Cheshire

Image source, Cheshire Hunt Saboteurs/Cheshire Against Blood Spo

Image caption, Cheshire Hunt Saboteurs said its members retrieved the fox from a canal

A fox has been killed during a trail hunt in Cheshire, police say.

It happened in the Huxley area while a hunt was taking place on Saturday afternoon, Cheshire Police said.

The animal's body was retrieved from a canal by Cheshire Hunt Saboteurs, the group said in a post on social media.

It is illegal to hunt foxes with a pack of dogs, but hunts can still follow a scent or trail. The force has started an investigation and "a number of parties" were being spoken to.

"The role of the police is to enforce the law impartially, " a spokesman said.

"We recognise how emotive this issue is and we would like to assure everyone that the matter will be thoroughly investigated."

On Thursday it emerged that the South Shropshire Hunt had its remaining 2019 meetings on land at the Long Mynd Estate cancelled by the National Trust after allegations of fox hunting.

A spokesman for the group said there had been "a number of unsubstantiated allegations made against us", but that members continued to work with the National Trust and looked forward to trail hunting in the near future.