To : hilary.mcgrady@nationaltrust.org.uk; trailhunting.management@nationaltrust.org.uk; tim.parker@nationaltrust.org.uk;

Subject : Teaching “deceptive” tactics

Dear sir/madam,

I expect that you, are aware of / or have viewed, the leaked ZOOM™ video which highlights elements of a series of webinars, run by the Hunting Office in August, and were attended by over a hundred and fifty hunt masters from across the country.

Participants in these webinars include Lord Mancroft (Chairman of the MFHA), Phil Davies (Consultant to the Countryside Alliance and Former Police Chief Inspector), Paul Jelley (Committee member of the AMHB and Former Police Officer), Mark Hankinson (Director of MFHA), and Richard Tyacke (Director of AMHB).

The participants in these webinars are teaching “deceptive” tactics to “bypass” the restrictive elements of the Hunting Act – allowing hunters to create “smokescreens” that permit them to hunt illegally, whilst portraying the guise of an “Organised Trail Hunt” – with Phil Davies, at one point, saying, “I hope no police officers are watching”.

These deplorable instructions in this video are vehemently appalling, and highlight the extensive intent of corruption and reckless disregard for the 2004 Hunting Act, by such peers as the representative of The Countryside Alliance, The Hunting Office, The FoxHound Association, An Ex-Police officer, An Ex-Police Chief Inspector, and a Government Official, as well as over one hundred and fifty Hunt Masters, in attendance of the webinars.

Clearly, this is a serious infringement of your contract agreements and a blatant breach of trust – Not forgetting that knowingly working with such organisations that promote acts of premeditated criminality would certainly nullify your insurance – and must not go unpunished.

The National Trust has taken numerous bookings for such “Organised Trail Hunts” on National Trust Land for the remainder of 2020 and 2021.

However, until this matter has been fully rectified and all elements of concern have been completely satisfied, all advanced “Organised Trail Hunt” bookings, held by The National Trust, must be cancelled – and any future “Organised Trail Hunt” bookings must not be approved until satisfactory assurance, and confidence in the Hunting Office, The Masters of FoxHounds Association and The Countryside Alliance, and its affiliates, can be established and safeguarded.

I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,