THE law on hunting with hounds is “not fit for purpose,” senior police officers have told MPs, with “loophole after loophole” continuing to frustrate the prosecution of illegal hunts.

Chief Superintendent Matt Longman, national policing lead on hunting with hounds, and Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the national wildlife crime unit, made the comments at a briefing in Parliament on Monday.

Mr Lacks-Kelly revealed that the police currently receive about 400 reports of illegal fox hunting each year, but that the number of prosecutions and convictions remains low due to evidential and legal obstacles.

He said: “The issue lies at the point of application of the law. Loophole after loophole is being exploited. The level of policing put into this type of crime is not equitable.

“It should not be as difficult and as polarised as it is to police hunting with hounds. 

“Trying to get a successful investigation is like trying to build a jigsaw — but the pieces are missing.”

Mr Longman described the current legal framework as “extremely difficult” to enforce, noting that trail hunting remains a smokescreen for illegal activity.

“Taking cases to court is inherently difficult. The question is: have we got the tools to deliver what the public expects? At the moment, I believe trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen,” he said, calling for “a clear law” that gives police the tools to uphold public expectations.

Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan, who hosted the briefing, said: “It’s clear that both the public and the police are being failed by outdated legislation.

“The Hunting Act was a significant step forward, but its loopholes have made it almost impossible to enforce.”