Footage shows hunting chaos on busy Dorset road for THIRD time in three weeks as hounds block cars

This is the astonishing moment a huntsman blocks a busy A-road with his hounds and horses before getting on his hands and knees and clambering through a hedge in the pouring rain.

The red coated huntsman is seen riding his grey horse up and down the hedgerow before dismounting and guiding the dogs into a sodden field to track a scent.

Identified as Peter Mark Doggrell, he then crawls through the undergrowth, getting covered in mud as he splashes off on foot with the dogs through the fields.

As the spectacle unfolds, vans and cars are filmed backing up at a standstill in both directions on the A3030 near Alweston, Dorset.

This is the astonishing moment a huntsman blocks a busy A-road with his hounds and horses  as he clambers through a hedge in the pouring rain. As the spectacle unfolds, vans and cars are filmed backing up at a standstill in both directions on the A3030 near Alweston, Dorset

Identified as Peter Mark Doggrell, the red coated huntsman is seen riding his grey horse up and down the hedgerow before dismounting and guiding the dogs into a sodden field to track a scent

Identified as Peter Mark Doggrell, the red coated huntsman is seen riding his grey horse up and down the hedgerow before dismounting and guiding the dogs into a sodden field to track a scent

Mr Doggrell, 50, then crawls through the undergrowth, getting covered in mud as he splashes off on foot with the dogs through the fields (above)

Mr Doggrell, 50, then crawls through the undergrowth, getting covered in mud as he splashes off on foot with the dogs through the fields (above)

It was the third time in as many weeks that major roads have been disrupted by the activities of the West Country’s Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt.

Two weeks ago, MailOnline reported on a video showing cars swerving to avoid hounds as they appeared to chase a fox across a busy stretch of the A352 near Sherbourne, Dorset.

The latest video, uploaded by hunt monitors from Somerset Wildlife Crime and Hounds Off, begins with a huntsman on horseback trotting down the centre of the A3030.

Dogs can be seen running down the side of the road as cars begin to pull up in terrible driving conditions.

Mr Doggrell then arrives on his horse and starts blowing his horn and engaging in a series of shouts and yowls to attract the hounds.

He then dismounts and shows the hounds where he wants them by crawling on his knees through the hedgerow in a muddy field.

Hounds are then seen bounding across the A-road as hunt supporters hold up the traffic for about 15 minutes.

Hunt monitor Pete White, who shot the footage, said: ‘It is just incredibly dangerous to have up to 40 fox hounds tearing across an A-road. This particular stretch of road was full of bends and it is only a matter of time before someone is killed.

It was the third time in as many weeks that major roads have been disrupted by the activities of the West Country's Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt

It was the third time in as many weeks that major roads have been disrupted by the activities of the West Country’s Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt

The latest video, uploaded by hunt monitors from Somerset Wildlife Crime and Hounds Off, shows hounds bounding across the A-road as hunt supporters hold up the traffic for about 15 minutes

The latest video, uploaded by hunt monitors from Somerset Wildlife Crime and Hounds Off, shows hounds bounding across the A-road as hunt supporters hold up the traffic for about 15 minutes

Two weeks ago, MailOnline reported on a video showing cars swerving to avoid hounds as they appeared to chase a fox across a busy stretch of the A352 near Sherbourne, Dorset

Two weeks ago, MailOnline reported on a video showing cars swerving to avoid hounds as they appeared to chase a fox across a busy stretch of the A352 near Sherbourne, Dorset

‘Seconds before the video began, a man on a quad bike had given the sign that a fox had been sighted and this was the response.

‘Mark Doggrell is the main huntsman with the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale and he started calling the hounds in the hope that they would pick up the scent.

‘This time there were plenty of hunt supporters around to warn the traffic of what was ahead but these hunts treat A-roads as though they are bridleways and the police always seem to turn a blind eye.

‘It makes a mockery of the claim that they are simply hunting trails as why would you lay trails across busy roads?’

Despite his best efforts to re-discover the scent, Mr Doggrell fails and the video ends with him stomping through the mud with his pack of hounds at his side.

Mr Doggrell, 50, is a well-known figure in the hunting community. Three years ago he was cleared of causing GBH to a hunt saboteur whom he rode into on his horse.

Nicola Rawson, then 42, was left with seven broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung and had to be airlifted to hospital following the incident.

He was cleared after a jury decided he had not intentionally hit her but she later successfully took out a civil claim against him.

The film begins begins with a huntsman on horseback trotting down the centre of the A3030. Dogs can be seen running down the side of the road as cars begin to pull up in terrible driving conditions. Mr Doggrell then arrives on his horse (right) and starts blowing his horn

The film begins begins with a huntsman on horseback trotting down the centre of the A3030. Dogs can be seen running down the side of the road as cars begin to pull up in terrible driving conditions. Mr Doggrell then arrives on his horse (right) and starts blowing his horn

Hunt monitor Pete White, who shot the footage, said: 'It is just incredibly dangerous to have up to 40 fox hounds tearing across an A-road. This particular stretch of road was full of bends and it is only a matter of time before someone is killed'

Hunt monitor Pete White, who shot the footage, said: ‘It is just incredibly dangerous to have up to 40 fox hounds tearing across an A-road. This particular stretch of road was full of bends and it is only a matter of time before someone is killed’

‘This particular hunt have been really pushing the limits,’ said Mr White. ‘They have very little respect for anyone else in the community and regard it as their God-given right to go where they please.’

Just two days earlier the same hunt had stopped traffic on the busy A37 road near Lottisham.

That video begins with three riders trotting down the road after a hound which can be seen running away in the distance.

The riders make no attempt to speed up after the animal, but five cars and a van are forced to weave around them.

In the next clip, the road is heavy with traffic, all forced to slow down as the huntsmen perform manoeuvres on the verge.

The hounds can then be seen in full cry in a field just off the A37. A fox is seen skirting the wood in the field and as the hounds delve into the wood, the fox doubles back and sprints across the field to the ‘safety’ of the road.

The clip ends with horns being blown and the hunt continuing as another fox darts up a country lane.

Mr Doggrell, 50, declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline at his farmhouse near Sherborne, Dorset. His wife Lucy said: ‘He’s not going to like this.’

Mr White added: 'This time there were plenty of hunt supporters around to warn the traffic of what was ahead but these hunts treat A-roads as though they are bridleways and the police always seem to turn a blind eye'

Mr White added: ‘This time there were plenty of hunt supporters around to warn the traffic of what was ahead but these hunts treat A-roads as though they are bridleways and the police always seem to turn a blind eye’

Mr Doggrell, 50, declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline at his farmhouse near Sherborne, Dorset. His wife Lucy said simply: ¿He¿s not going to like this'

Mr Doggrell, 50, declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline at his farmhouse near Sherborne, Dorset. His wife Lucy said simply: ‘He’s not going to like this’

Dorset Police said they did not have a record of the hold up on the A3030 last Saturday. However, a spokesman added: 'We will investigate any alleged breaches of the Hunting Act 2004 and other legislation and work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine if a case could be taken to court'

Dorset Police said they did not have a record of the hold up on the A3030 last Saturday. However, a spokesman added: ‘We will investigate any alleged breaches of the Hunting Act 2004 and other legislation and work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine if a case could be taken to court’

Dorset Police said they did not have a record of the hold up on the A3030 last Saturday.

However, a spokesman added: ‘We will investigate any alleged breaches of the Hunting Act 2004 and other legislation and work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine if a case could be taken to court.

‘We would urge anyone with clear evidence of such offending to please report it to us.

‘We do find that many of the reports posted on social media are not referred to us and without this happening we have no ability to investigate.

‘We carry out a proportionate and objective investigation into any reports of road safety issues and where there is evidence of offences being committed, appropriate action will be taken.’

 

 

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