Exclusive: Illegal fox baiters scout canal banks

Feb 5 2009 By Frank Hurley

REPORTS of illegal fox hunters on the banks of the Forth-Clyde Canal are being investigated by police and British Waterways.

A group of men with up to eight dogs have been seen scouting for foxholes along the canal banks at Garscadden, known locally as the Nollie.

The group has been seen by at least one resident who reported the incident to Strathclyde Police Community Safety officers based at WestEnd Police Office.

The new alert on city fox hunters comes after a sickening report on January20 that men in camouflaged gear tethered a fox on wasteland in Glasgow and let three terrier type dogs rip the animal to pieces.

Police were appalled at the crime witnessed by a local man looking out of a window in his home.

The canal bank hunters were spotted by a Garscadden resident who didn't want to be named, but told The Glaswegian: "I saw a group of men working the Nollie poking about in fox holes. They had about eight dogs with them.

"I could see they were up to no good and told police." The Scottish SPCA said it is not illegal for people to kill foxes for pest control reasons provided they have the land owner's permission and the animal is killed humanely.

But killing a tethered wild animal is illegal under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

A spokeswoman for British Waterways Scotland said: "We have not received any reports of this type of activity in the area.

"British Waterways Scotland is committed to preserving the vast array of wildlife that exists in and around the canals, and discourages any activity that aims to harm our wildlife.

"We will be looking in to this matter further."

A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "We are making inquiries into sitings of men with dogs at the Nollie."

TWO men have been charged with alleged fox baiting after police were called to an incident at waste ground at Drumchapel on Saturday.

Strathclyde Police said two men aged 25 and 31 had been charged under section one of the Protection of Wild Mammals Act 2002.

Both are expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court next week.