THREE people have been charged with criminal offences in connection with an investigation into an alleged illegal hunt said to have happened in Somerset last year.

It follows Somerset Hunt Saboteurs (SHS) giving police drone footage of a meet of the former Taunton Vale Harriers, which has merged with the Weston and Banwell Harriers, which in turn previously incorporated the West Somerset Vale Harriers.

Now, Wayne Greggory, aged 48 of Taunton, James Parish, aged 31 of Uffcume, and 45-year-old Ross Cordery, of Highbridge have been charged with hunting a wild mammal with dogs under the Hunting Act 2004.

An investigation into the incident last November near Chilton Trinity, Bridgwater, was led by the rural crime team of Avon and Somerset Constabulary

All three defendants will appear in Taunton Magistrates Court on Monday, April 20.

At the time, SHS said its members, who regularly try to disrupt hunt meets, had witnessed ‘chilling scenes’.

The Harriers had met for an afternoon trail hunt, which is a legal activity, and were followed by a number of saboteurs.

One of the saboteurs, who is a licensed drone operator filmed the hunt’s activities, which SHS said showed a dismounted huntsman and a ‘terrier man’ close to hounds which appeared to be chasing a fox

Handheld camera footage was also recorded with lots of shouts heard from huntspeople.

It was unclear at the time whether or not the fox which was seen had escaped.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association has been campaigning for trail hunting to be banned, saying it was being used as cover for illegal hunting activities.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has just started a 12-week public consultation on how to implement a ban on trail hunting as part of the Government’s proposed animal welfare reform measures.