Saboteurs tailing East Sussex and Romney Marsh hunt 'rammed'

Two members of the West Kent Hunt Saboteurs captured the moment a tractor drove into their truck, on Saturday, October 10 in Penhurst Lane, Battle.

They had been tracking the East Sussex and Romney Marsh hunt when the tractor “repeatedly rammed” into their vehicle.

The group, who attempt to stop hunts from going ahead, claim it was driven by supporters of the hunt.

Campaign group the Countryside Alliance claim that the footage had been edited and said it never “condones aggression". 

Police are now investigating.

In the video, hunt saboteur Harry Blackhurst, 33, can be heard shouting as the tractor pushes the vehicle backwards.

He then gets out of the vehicle and phones 999, telling the operator: “I need the police urgently, there is a tractor ramming into my car.”

Mr Blackhurst described the incident as “terrifying”.

He told The Argus: “We were completely trapped in. The tractor rammed into us repeatedly, pushing us off the road.

“As is seen on the footage, I called the police and they did send resources quickly and the tractor was also blocking the public road.”

West Kent Hunt Saboteurs have now launched a GoFundMe to cover the repair costs to their vehicle.

The Countryside Alliance shared a picture of a vehicle of an elderly hunt supporter which was allegedly damaged "around the time of this incident".

A spokesman added: "The Alliance never condones aggression, even in the event of extreme provocation, but we do not believe that a full judgment of this incident can be made on the basis of heavily edited video footage.”

The 2004 Hunting Act banned the hunting of wild mammals, including foxes and deer, with dogs in England and Wales.

Sussex Police said it was investigating a report that a tractor drove into two vehicles at 9.30am.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information about it is asked to email the Sussex Police rural crime team ruralcrime.team@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 369 of 10/10.