Police probe Fife's illegal fox hunting claim

Jacqueline Scott told the Fife Free Press she has witnessed “numerous incidents” involving individuals, some with vehicles, hunting with packs of dogs on land adjacent to Station Road, Cardenden in recent weeks.

Both Police Scotland and the Scottish SPCA have confirmed they are investigating the latest reported incident, which is understood to have taken place on the afternoon of November 26.

Jacqueline said discovering the dead animals had left her “sick to the pit of her stomach” and has called on the police and other authorities to do more to track down those responsible.

“I’ve seen them so many times drive the grey SUV up the field during the early hours with the big spotlight on driving around looking for something to terrorise,” she explained.

“Usually it takes place in the middle of the night, hunting for whatever they can find.

“The dogs are whipped up into a frenzy, and there has also been gunfire, I can’t understand who would want to do such a thing, it’s disgusting.”

It was shortly after an incident in the daytime that she then made the grim discovery, while taking her dog out for a walk.

“It was unusual to see them doing this in the daytime so I reported the incident to the police and even gave them the registration number of the vehicle.

“There’s no place for this sort of barbaric behaviour, those involved need to be stopped.”

Police Scotland have remained tight lipped about the incident, but a spokesman confirmed that a complaint relating to a number of foxes, which had been killed in Cardenden, was being investigated

“We are liaising with the SSPCA to determine the full circumstances surrounding this matter,” the spokesman added.

And Police Scotland is calling on any members of the public who witness further incidents of people using firearms or dogs on the site to report it immediately by calling the police on 101.