Hunting contest

When Mark Hankinson was convicted of encouraging illegal fox hunting , his whole world fell apart and the sport that he loves was tarnished. He fell into the “abyss” as his case was used as an “excuse” to ban legal trail hunting by major landowners , to influence politicians and to launch criminal investigations into hunts. But throughout an almost two-year ordeal which saw his conviction overturned this week , one thing remains a surprise: he was never spoken to by police officers. Mr Hankinson believes that police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to charge him because of “political” pressure from internet trolls and animal rights activists. “I am just flabbergasted that the police managed to ruin my life without ever even speaking to me,” the former director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) told The Telegraph in his first interview. His case centred around footage from an invitation-only webinar in which Mr Hankinson’s use of the word … [Read more...] about Police ruined my life without even talking to me, says exonerated huntsman

Roman Kemp has sung the praises of Love Island contestant Jacques O'Neill following his heart-wrenching display of emotions after he made the decision to quit the ITV2 dating show due to his mental health. Rugby player Jacques, 23, sensationally called time on his Love Island journey this week after admitting that he was struggling with his thoughts and feelings while cooped up in the villa with the other contestants. And although Jacques had found 'the best connection of his life' with Welsh bombshell Paige Thorne , he chose to go home in order to 'sort himself out' and 'get back to himself' in order to be his best self when Paige's time on Love Island eventually comes to an end. Love Island viewers were left sobbing as they watched Jacques say goodbye to his fellow islanders and his new best friend, Luca Bish as the boys hugged and cried on one another's shoulders before saying their final goodbyes. Following the outpour of emotion from Jacques and Luca, Capital FM's … [Read more...] about Roman Kemp praises Love Island’s Jacques for brave decision to quit show amid struggles

By Philip Sim Published 3 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Tory leadership The Conservative leadership bandwagon has rolled through Scotland amid a hail of policy pledges, placards and protests. What were the key takeaways from the hustings in Perth? 1. The Truss campaign has built momentum When the MPs ballot first whittled the field down to the final two, it was initially difficult to find Scottish Tories who supported Liz Truss. Many had backed other candidates, with Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch popular. Some were also supporting Penny Mordaunt. There were a few Rishi Sunak supporters right from the start, and he still has a healthy group of MSPs behind him. But the turnaround for Liz Truss has been huge. She now has more MSP backers than her opponent. And when she gathered a group of cheering supporters before … [Read more...] about Five things we learned from Scottish Tory hustings

Published 21 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing A man has been fined £500 after a pack of hounds killed a cat and bit a man during a fox hunt in County Down. Lisburn Magistrates' Court heard that Jack Harris was the huntsman employed by Iveagh Hunt Club in November 2020 when the incidents happened. He was convicted on two counts of being the keeper of a dog which attacked. Thirty-year-old Harris, who has an address in England and did not appear before the court, was ordered to pay court costs of £1,200. The hunt, which consisted of up to 40 dogs, took place in the Hillsborough area. A prosecution lawyer told the court the hunt was trespassing on land belonging to a number of different individuals at the time of the attacks. The first attack, on a black cat named Jessie, happened at the Dromara Road in Hillsborough. The court heard that a witness … [Read more...] about Hillsborough: Huntsman Jack Harris fined after attacks by foxhounds

After weeks of dry weather, heavy rain has hit large parts of the UK (central London's Millennium Bridge is pictured below) and caused flooding. Plus, we analyse how the Bank of England has failed to get a grip on inflation. Evening briefing: Today's essential headlines UK floods | The Met Office has warned of dangerous floods that are set to hit parts of the UK, amid thunderstorms lashing the country after weeks of dry weather. Video showed central London station staff in ankle-deep water today as heavy rain hit the capital . Across the world, the lack of rain has seen submerged wonders rediscovered , from Second World War shipwrecks to medieval bridges. In Iraq, pictures show how the reputed home of the Garden of Eden has been turned into a "desert" . Manchester United | Glazer family 'consider selling stake in club' Mobility scooter stabbing | Man with knife pictured fleeing scene Ryan Giggs | Ex-footballer called 'team meetings' over dishwasher … [Read more...] about Wednesday evening news briefing: How Bank failed to grip inflation

Liz Truss recognises "a lot more will have to be done" to help families cope with the cost of living crisis and "nothing has been taken off the table", one of her leading supporters has said. Sajid Javid, the former chancellor, said Ms Truss will act "very quickly" if she becomes prime minister, holding an emergency budget "within weeks". Mr Javid said Ms Truss is " thinking very carefully about the commitments " she will make, amid mounting pressure for her to set out in detail how she would take the sting out of rising prices and surging energy bills. Ms Truss has been ambiguous during the Tory leadership contest on what she would do to help households, simply stressing that her priority would be to cut taxes. She has hinted that she would be willing to bring forward some direct support for struggling families, but she has so far refused to be drawn on specifics and has made clear she intends to wait until she is in office to make announcements. In … [Read more...] about Liz Truss will act ‘very quickly’ to combat cost of living crisis, ally insists

Truss said UK workers should show ‘more graft’ Horizon tit-for-tat shows Truss will not give Brexit ground Truss will act 'very quickly' to combat cost of living crisis The key dates in this Tory leadership race Follow the latest odds with our live tracker Telegraph Politics WhatsApp group: Sign up for the latest news R ishi Sunak has vowed to be "much tougher" on how the UK's benefits system works if he becomes prime minister as he suggested he would force unemployed claimants to take jobs when they become available. Speaking at a leadership hustings in Belfast, Mr Sunak said he wanted to get more people "off benefits and into work" and that this would help businesses which are currently struggling to fill staff vacancies. The former chancellor said if he defeats Liz Truss and replaces Boris Johnson in No 10 then he would ensure that "if there are hours to do, if there is a job going, people should have to take the job". He said that other … [Read more...] about Tory leadership hustings: Rishi Sunak vows to be ‘much tougher’ with welfare system to ‘get people off benefits’

Gareth Thomas was investigated by police for allegedly infecting his former partner with HIV without disclosing he was positive with the virus. The Welsh rugby star, who is a leading advocate for the HIV community , behaved “deceptively” and “failed to take reasonable care” to ensure he did not pass on the disease, according to papers lodged in the High Court. Mr Thomas is being sued by Ian Baum, 59, who claims he only discovered the former Wales and Lions captain was HIV-positive when he found his antiviral medication. Mr Baum, a private carer who started an on-off relationship with Mr Thomas in 2013, alleges he then took an HIV test, which came back positive, and confronted his partner, who was “very repentant and apologetic”. He is suing the former player for a six-figure sum for serious physical and mental injury, including loss of life expectancy of six to eight years. Police investigated concluded in 2018 It has also emerged that Mr Thomas was the subject of an … [Read more...] about Police investigated Gareth Thomas over former partner’s claims ex-rugby star gave him HIV

It was nearly half a century ago when Jonathan Scott first set eyes upon the lions of the Musiara Marsh. Back in 1977, he had newly arrived in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve to work as a tour guide and wildlife photographer and spotted two of the big cats lounging on the edge of the swamp where, during the dry season, they hunt for prey. The lions in question were nonplussed. “They just stuck their noses into the wind, looked around and slumped down again into the grass,” the now 73-year-old recalls. “But, my God, I just knew then that this was my dream coming true.” From that first brief encounter, Scott, who grew up on a farm in Berkshire and studied zoology at Queen's University in Belfast, has dedicated his life to following the Marsh Pride.  Over the decades he has watched them become the most famous lions on earth – the inspiration for Disney’s The Lion King (back in the 70s, one of the dominant males in the pride was even named Scar, the power-hungry uncle voiced by … [Read more...] about The rise and fall of the pride that inspired the Lion King

“Help, it’s a big one.” I turn around quickly, hopeful for treasure, to see mudlarker Monika Buttling-Smith wrestling with a leech on her arm. She pulls it off in good humour and tosses it back into the still, cool water of the River Stour, in north-east Essex. For a second, I experience the surge of excitement that brings mudlarkers back to the foreshore and murky depths of UK streams, rivers and coastlines time and again. Mudlarking , the alluring practice – to some – of hunting through river mud for lost items of value or historical significance, has been around since the late eighteenth century. But the activity - now more of a hobby than a desperate way to earn money - is enjoying a boom in the current drought, as the lack of rain dries the land and causes the water levels of some non-tidal rivers to recede. This has been the driest eight-month spell since 1976 . A drought was declared across half of England on Friday and the source of the Thames has dried up to more … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime find and was covered in crust’: An afternoon with Britain’s mudlarkers