In a move welcomed by Keep The Ban, the National Trust will no longer issue licences for trail hunting on its land, the charity’s board of trustees has announced. It comes after a landmark vote was made by members of the Trust 2:1 in favour of the licences being ended at the charity's most recent AGM.

The Board of Trustees stated the following as their reasons for the 'trail hunt' ban:

• A loss of trust and confidence in the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA), which governs trail hunting
• The vote by National Trust members at its recent AGM,
• The considerable resources needed to facilitate trail hunting,
• The reputational risk of this activity continuing on National Trust land

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Rob Pownall, founder of Keep The Ban commented: "We have been tirelessly campaigning for this outcome for years. Finally the National Trust have made the decision they should have made years ago and banned the hunts from their land. The lie that is "trail hunting" is well and truly over and this should prove to be a momentous day when it comes to finally ending the cruel and barbaric pastime of fox hunting for good."

The move to end these licences comes following the leaked Hunting Office webinars which showed senior hunting officials discussing on camera how to get around the 2004 Hunting Act and continue hunting and killing wildlife. The former Director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association Mark Hankinson was ultimately found guilty of encouraging and assisting others to break the law and major landowners have either suspended or permanently ended so-called "trail hunt" licences in recent weeks.

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