COUNCILLORS have rejected a motion that would have seen a letter sent to a foxhounds group asking them not to come to Keswick on Boxing Day.

The motion, put forward by councillor Allan Todd, would have seen the town council writing a letter to the Blencathra Foxhounds group asking them not to gather in the Market Place on Boxing Day.

The debate was varied and included arguments that the hunt should continue due to tradition and that the way hunting is conducted can be inhumane.

Five councillors voted against sending the letter, with four voting in favour.

With the votes tied at four each, the deciding vote fell to Keswick’s deputy mayor Paul Titley - who was standing in as chairman of the meeting for the mayor David Burn who was not present - who voted against sending the letter. He had previously voted against the motion in the same meeting.

Mr Titley said: “This was a vote about retaining a visit, not a justification for an illegal activity.

“With the votes tied at four all, and a third of the council absent including the mayor I took the decision to maintain the status quo.”

A similar vote was held in April and was also voted against.

Allan Todd said: “I don’t approve of animal cruelty, I certainly don’t approve of organisations that commit animal cruelty and give a poor excuse.

“I can’t believe any town would want to be associated with such an organisation.

“If they frequently stay in the terms of the 2004 Hunting Act they will be a unique hunt.

“Let’s assume they stay within the law, by their own admission their dogs chased by accident.

“In the past seven seasons, their daily record sheets admit that 67 - possibly 69 - meets resulted in the chasing of a fox - with 11 - possibly 18 - kills. They don’t always know what their dogs are doing.”

The Blencathra Foxhounds have a long history in the Lake District, they first began hunting in the area during the early 1800s.

The 2004 Hunting Act banned the hunting of wild animals with dogs in England but it does not cover drag hunting, which is where dogs are trained to follow an artificial scent.

It has become a Boxing Day tradition for the Foxhounds to meet in the Market Place to allow the public to meet the hounds.

They then proceed to walk through the town towards the fells where they exercise the dogs.

Mr Todd says he is planning a further motion for December 18.

“I will be putting forward a motion that will make it unacceptable for a councillor to be in the vicinity of the hunt,” he explained.

“It is not an issue that is going to go away because you stick your head in the sand. It is something that will be pursued.”

A petition to ban the gathering, started on campaigning website 38 Degrees last week, has received more than 2,000 signatures.

To view the petition, go to https://tinyurl.com/udd2mgm.

The Blencathra Foxhounds declined to comment.