Dorset Council’s tenant farmers will be allowed to continue to allow hunting dogs to use their land.

The authority says that there is nothing it can do to prevent trail hunts taking place on the farms – because the activity is not illegal.

The response came as a result of a question from Weymouth councillor Jon Orrell who claimed that trail hunts sometimes used a loophole in the law to legally kill wild animals.

He asked for all activities using hunting dogs on council owned farms to be banned.

Portfolio holder for economic growth, assets and property Cllr Tony Ferrari said that although the 2004 Hunting Act made the hunting of wild animals with dogs illegal, trail hunting was a legal activity.

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“The council will not allow any illegal or unlawful activity to take place on its land and will only condone legal activities to take place, and at this moment in time, trail hunting is considered a legal activity.

“The Council Farms Estate is the only area of land owned by the council where trail hunting takes place. Council Farms are leased to tenants and it is for those individuals who manage the land to decide whether to allow legal activities to take place on the land.

“A prohibition on trail hunting which manifestly interferes with lawful freedom of those who take part in sport can only be justified if the Council reasonably concludes that prohibition is the best means of managing the land which under the lease arrangements currently in place is the responsibility of the tenants.”