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Police response to hunting group activity reviewed

BBC Mr Seccombe is stood outside some buildings wearing a navy suit and blue, green and red tie with a light blue shirt on underneath. He is leaning on a railing smiling at the camera.BBC
Conservative Philip Seccombe was re-elected for a third term as Warwickshire police crime commissioner in May

An independent review is under way of police's response to hunting activity after a protection notice was issued to a hunting group.

Warwickshire Police said the review, commissioned by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Philip Seccombe, will examine how it responds to anti-social behaviour, road safety and crime reporting in relation to hunting activity.

The community protection notice (CPN) was issued to the Warwickshire Hunt (WH) in 2022, before later being withdrawn when a legal settlement was reached with the group, they added.

The review will provide insight into how the force behaves, along with recommendations for improved practices in future hunting seasons.

The CPN was issued in December 2022, focusing on the group's apparent anti-social behaviour and disregard for road safety.

It was withdrawn in August last year and a legal settlement agreed with the WH, which "provided a protocol to address road safety concerns during the 2023/24 hunting season", the force said.

'Ensure full public confidence'

The force has subsequently published guidance for lawful hunt and lawful protest activities for the current hunting season.

In March, Mr Seccombe said that should he be re-elected he would commission an independent report, to look at the issuing of the protocol and make recommendations on how the force can fully restore public confidence.

Following Mr Seccombe's re-election in May David Peet, an experienced chief executive and organisational leader with police governance experience, was selected to lead the review.

Mr Seccombe said the review was important for wider public confidence and "should help to identify any additional measures Warwickshire Police can take to improve their response further".

“Ultimately, I want to ensure that the public has full confidence that the force has an independent and impartial operational stance to hunting-related activity and that members of the public know how to report any concerns about potential breaches of the law," he said.

"I expect the review to conclude later this autumn and will publish the findings once I have received them.”

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