HUNT saboteurs are seeking a private prosecution against a huntswoman captured on film whipping a member of their group 17 times.

The woman appeared to be striking the man from Brighton Hunt Saboteurs with a riding crop while on horseback as the group clashed with fox hunters in Herstmonceux last November.

Both the Brighton group and South Coast Hunt Saboteurs have now set up a crowdfunding page online to fund a private prosecution against the rider, after Sussex Police took no further action due to a lack of evidence.

A South Coast Hunt Saboteurs spokesman said: “Every week we experience threats, intimidation and often actual violence from the hunts and every week read reports on social media of increasingly frequent and serious attacks on hunt sabs and monitors.

“The hunt sab who was beaten has been assaulted many times and never received justice – this has to stop.

“The violent hunt supporters need to know that there will be legal consequences if they attack us before another hunt sab is killed.”

South Coast Hunt Sabouteurs also said they had lodged a complaint with police about the decision after numerous witnesses came forward.

The groups need to submit a private prosecution application within six months of the incident.

When the fundraising target is reached the money will be held in an account monitored by Outpaced, a legal advisory organisation.

A spokesman for Brighton Hunt Saboteurs told The Argus: “The police don’t do anything about the hunters being aggressive or pushing around saboteurs but they will arrest them whenever the hunt wants.

“Our supporters are eager to help us with this sort of thing.”

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “No further action will be taken against a horse rider who was captured on video striking out at a man who had grabbed the reins of her horse.

“The woman and four witnesses were interviewed, but these and the evidence supplied did not support a prosecution.”

East Sussex and Romney Marsh Hunt Club, which organised the hunt, said it assisted police with their enquiries.

More than £4,800 has been raised by the saboteurs, who aim to reach their goal of £15,000.