Reports of suspected illegal fox hunting have increased across the board ahead of a government consultation on controversial ‘trail’ hunting, leading national wildlife charity the League Against Cruel Sports has revealed.

As hunts get ready for the biggest ceremonial hunting day in their calendar on Boxing Day, the League can reveal that the numbers of foxes seen being chased, reports of havoc caused in rural communities, trespass, and other behaviour pointing to old fashioned illegal hunting have all increased.

The figures have been published to coincide with the launch of the government’s animal welfare strategy today, in which it confirms the process to ban trail hunting will begin in the new year, plus a raft of other provisions for wild, farmed and domestic animals.