The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) is a direct-action group against bloodsports, working in the fields to protect wildlife from hunters. Beginning as a Devon-based group in 1963, the HSA grew into a national network to which autonomous hunt-saboteur groups (henceforth referred to as ‘sabs’) could affiliate. Around the time of significant infiltration by UCOs in the 1980s and 1990s, there were around 140 active hunt-sab groups. Dozens of hunt-sab groups remain active today.
The SDS heavily infiltrated the animal-rights movement in the 1980s and 1990s. Given the porous relationship between animal-rights groups that advocated direct action, SDS infiltration of the movement often brought them into contact with the HSA and local sab groups.
The HSA was reported on by the SDS by HN10 Bob Lambert (‘Bob Robinson’) (1983-1988). However, many more infiltrated and reported on local hunt-sab groups: HN5 John Dines (‘John Barker’) (1987-1991), HN87 ‘John Lipscombe’ (1987-1990), HN2 Andy Coles (‘Andy Davey’) (1991-1995), HN1 ‘Matt Rayner’ (1993-1997), HN26 ‘Christine Green’ (1996-1999), HN16 James Thomson ‘James Straven’ (1997-2002) and HN14 Jim Boyling (‘Jim Sutton’) (1995-2000).
Individual sab groups that were infiltrated by the SDS included North London Hunt Saboteurs (1987-1989), Hither Green Hunt Saboteurs (c. 1987) Sidcup Hunt Saboteurs (1987-1988), Lewisham Hunt Saboteurs (1988-1990), South London Hunt Saboteurs (1988-1990), Brixton and Croydon Hunt Saboteurs (1989-1993), West London Hunt Saboteur Group (1991-1993, 1996-1999) and Essex Hunt Saboteurs (1995-2000).
Two of Lambert’s reports from August 1985 refer to a further (unpublished) report containing the agenda for the HSA AGM, submitted to Special Branch in 1985. This included the election addresses of the 15 people who stood for election to the HSA central committee.
History
Early members of the HSA were also members of the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), which campaigned to criminalise bloodsports. However, some within LACS also felt that direct action was needed to stop the killing of animals for sport, in addition to lobbying for a change in the law.
By 1965, the emphasis had shifted away from the founding Devon HSA group in Brixham toward the London Group. With its ‘operational base’ at 5 Recovery Street in Tooting, the London Group, led by Dave Wetton, was the most active sab group in the mid-sixties and oversaw the rapid growth of the HSA as an organisation. By the end of the seventies, the HSA was a collection of autonomous groups that followed a set of rules decided by an elected committee.
The HSA central office served as a focal point for sharing information on how to safely sabotage a hunt. It published its Tactics Booklet to encourage best practice and provided a copy to affiliated branches.
Since 1973, the HSA has published its own magazine, HOWL, which provides updates on local sab actions submitted by local groups.
There is substantial crossover between HSA members and other animal-rights groups. In 1971, another direct action group was set up by HSA committee member Ronnie Lee. The Band of Mercy expanded the tactics of disrupting hunts to include actions that prevented hunts starting, such as damaging hunters’ vehicles. At least publicly, the HSA central office distanced itself from these actions.
Many HSA members were also involved in the Band of Mercy, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), LACS and the RSPCA. Involvement in LACS was a means to influence legislative change. In contrast, involvement in the RSPCA was part of a strategy to discredit the pro-hunt lobby, which had caucused within the charity.
One of the HSA’s main focuses is disrupting fox hunts, but the group also targets beagling, otter hunting, hare coursing, and deer hunting. As legislation was amended to protect more species, hunters began hunting mink and coypu more frequently, and these species also became a focus for sabs.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the HSA had 3,000 members across around 100 active sab groups, but by the mid-1980s, membership had fallen to 1,000. This came at a time of increasingly negative media coverage, increased violence by pro-hunt supporters and state intervention.
Much of the infiltration of the HSA by UCOs occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, coinciding with the introduction of the Animal Rights National Index (ARNI) by Special Branch around 1986.
ARNI was a database that soon became a national entity under the control of the Metropolitan Police Special Branch (MPSB). It liaised with animal-rights officers within regional police forces and maintained a database, which it made available to police forces nationally.
By 1995, this database was said to contain 2,000-3,000 names of those who were suspected of or had committed animal rights-related offences. HSA members were in this database, and had intelligence on their proposed hits shared with hunt masters.
Further restraints on sabs followed the introduction of the 1986 Public Order Act, which lowered the threshold for police to arrest sabs before a hit took place.
Although sabs had frequently been subject to violence during their hits, violence against sabs became increasingly more common in the 1980s and 1990s. Frequent attacks by pro-hunt supporters used farm equipment, vehicles and hunting clubs, as well as threats of violence and near-misses with firearms.
Hunters have killed two sabs. Eighteen-year-old Mike Hill died in 1991 during a ‘hit’ on Cheshire Beagles after being run over by a trailer driven by a pro-hunt supporter. Fifteen-year-old Tom Worby died in 1993 during a ‘hit’ on the Cambridgeshire Foxhounds after being run over by the hound van in a narrow verge, also driven by a pro-hunt supporter. Neither action resulted in the prosecution of the drivers.
The 2004 Hunting Act was a legislative victory for the animal-rights movement, but it did not end hunting or the HSA. Not only did the Hunting Act not go far enough in protecting wildlife, but it also left numerous loopholes that allowed hunters to continue their activities.
The HSA campaigned to have the act strengthened and, crucially, enforced by the police. In the absence of this, the HSA continues to coordinate against hunts nationwide, with the additional tactic of monitoring hunts and reporting actions to the police and to the British Hound Sports Association, the hunting governing body.
Despite the ban, hunts continue to take place, albeit less frequently. Even when hunts have been monitored and reported to the police, hunters are only handed meagre fines compared to the prison sentences and hefty fines handed to HSA members while sabbing.
Sources
Dazza Scott: Sabotage: The Story of the Hunt Saboteur Association. Hunt Saboteur Association.
Chris Bowkett: Unpublished conversations with Steve Poole, former editor of HOWL and national press officer of the HSA.
Dave Wetton: Early Days of the HSA, HOWL 103, Winter 2013.