THE BERKELEY Hunt's annual Boxing Day meet passed off peacefully in Thornbury without the clashes which marred events in other parts of the country.

Crowds gathered to watch as members of the hunt met in Thornbury High Street for their traditional Boxing Day Meet a day later than usual, on Monday, December 27, after a year off due to Covid.

A group of animal rights campaigners attended too, with protesters holding up placards with slogans such as 'stop killing wildlife' and 'ban all hunting'.

Pictures taken at the scene show one person dressed as a fox holding a banner which read "For fox sake enforce the ban".

A spokesman for the hunt said: "This was a very welcome return to a degree of normality and the crowds came out to support.

"A precautionary approach was never the less apparent."

Berkeley Hunt joint master Haydn Jones said: "We wanted to ensure an enjoyable day for the thousands of people that come out every year to support and celebrate this important cultural event with us.

He added: "We encouraged members to take lateral flow tests by promoting #flowbeforeyougo and advised our followers to take appropriate precautions for an outdoor event."

The hunting of foxes was banned in 2004 by Tony Blair's government, so instead the hounds follow a scent laid down with a rag, which is known as trail hunting.

Anti-hunt activists allege this is simply a smokescreen and that the killing of foxes has not stopped.