HORRIFYING footage shows a pack of dogs from a fox hunt rampage through a field of sheep and attack a lamb.
The lamb is seen fleeing for its life before a dog catches up and mauls it. Amazingly the lamb survived but needed for treatment for puncture wounds.
The footage was captured by Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs on Saturday on land north of Roston, Derbyshire.
The clip begins with dogs jumping over a fence into a field full of sheep.
The dogs begin chasing the sheep as Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs follow and watch closely.
The flock of sheep all run away from the dogs to the right of the field, as radio and walkie talkie chatter can be heard in the background.
Towards the right a lamb then appears into view, and can clearly be seen to be running away from multiple dogs, with one closing in.
The dog appears to be trying to attack the poor animal, as the person holding the camera panics and shouts over at the dog: “Leave it.”
As the saboteurs filming approach the lamb, it can be seen lying on its side, not moving and in shock.
Remarkably, the lamb survived its ordeal and was taken to vets to be treated for puncture wounds.
A spokesperson for Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs claimed the hounds had “rioted through a private garden and a field full of sheep” whilst chasing a fox.
“Members of the Hunt were present at the time and did nothing to intervene.
“Fox hunts should be totally disbanded to prevent further harm to animals, both domestic and wild.”
The clip shows a police vehicle was present in the area but Derbyshire Police today claimed their investigation was being hampered by lack of evidence.
A spokeswoman for Derbyshire Police said: ““We have recently become aware of a video circulating on social media purporting to be evidence of sheep worrying offences being committed in the Derbyshire area.
“The video shows various individuals with their faces covered, members of an organised hunt and members of the public.
“This is clearly a matter of public interest and one that deserves to be investigated.
“Unfortunately at this stage, our officers are unable to launch an investigation without being provided with further evidence by the group who released the video.
“This has been requested via social media, but has not yet been provided.
“We cannot conduct a thorough and robust investigation based purely on posts on social media. Nor can we do so on the basis of edited video footage.
“In cases involving animal welfare or offences against wildlife, there is a need to act swiftly to prevent any further suffering or unlawful deaths.
“Not reporting an incident puts any investigation in jeopardy and more worryingly increases the chances of further rural or wildlife crime offences being committed.
“We, therefore, urge those who took the footage to provide us with full unedited copies, dates, times and locations of alleged offences and details of those involved as witnesses or suspects.”
Police confirmed nobody had been arrested or charged over the incident.
