Uproar as Wiltshire Police appoint ‘banned’ hunt member as rural crime officer

The appointment of a rural crime officer at Wiltshire Police has sparked controversy online – after it was claimed that she is a member of a ‘banned’ hunt.

PC Cheryl Knight announced her new role in a Facebook post on the Wiltshire Rural Crime Team page, with an anti-hunt group quickly suggesting that she is a member of the Avon Vale Hunt.

The news comes just two weeks after numerous members of the same hunt were arrested when footage appeared to show them digging foxes out of a hole and throwing them to a pack of hounds.

The alleged offences are under investigation by Wiltshire Police and following a review of the video, Hound Sports Regulatory Authority (HSRA) permanently expelled Avon Vale Hunt.