Police seek quad bike riders who joined trail hunt

Police wish to identify more than 40 quad bike riders who descended on a town in Doncaster during a Boxing Day trail hunt.

The Grove Rufford Hunt gathered in Bawtry on 26 December before more than 100 horse riders set out for the nearby village of Scaftworth.

South Yorkshire Police said the quad bike riders, who were unaffiliated with the hunt, attended and were "believed to have been riding illegally".

Many were "on public paths, uninsured and with some bikes reported stolen", the force added.

Anyone with photos, video or information about the quad bike riders are asked to contact police on 101.

Fox hunting was banned 20 years ago, but the government has further pledged to ban trail hunting, where hounds follow a pre-laid scent.

Critics argue the sport is being used as a "smokescreen" for illegal hunting, however others call it an important part of the rural economy.

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