Police & Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe is confident Warwickshire Police's response to hunting will improve despite concerns that a recent review was too "woolly". 

Mr Seccombe commissioned an independent review of the force's work to manage trail hunting and allegations of anti-social behaviour on the roads associated with it.

In 2022, Warwickshire Police sought a community protection notice (CPN) to prevent issues related to the way members of Warwickshire Hunt and their animals accessed and crossed roads and parcels of land. 

It was not designed to target allegations of fox hunting, which is banned, but to more effectively manage legal trail hunting, the alternative that mimics fox hunting by getting hounds to follow a scent. 

The CPN was dropped in favour of a private protocol and amid allegations that Warwickshire Hunt was fox hunting, which it strenuously denied, Warwickshire Police's failure to publish the protocol led to the highways and hunting issues becoming convoluted, fuelling accusations of police bias and undue influence from Mr Seccombe because of his membership of the Countryside Alliance. 

The independent review, conducted by David Peet, a former chief executive of PCC offices elsewhere in the country, highlighted shortcomings but cleared Mr Seccombe of tampering with operational matters and Warwickshire Police of any bias.

The crux of the criticism was how the handling of the problems were communicated to the public, within and between police departments and between Warwickshire Police and Mr Seccombe's office. 

Warwickshire's Police and Crime Panel is made up of elected councillors and independent members, holding Mr Seccombe to account for his work overseeing the police force.

A number of members were concerned by the lack of definition in Mr Peet's recommendations, also baulking at his description of "minor" issues – albeit in the context of bigger operational matters for the police. 

Stratford-on-Avon district councillor Natalie Gist (Lib Dem, Bishops Itchington, Fenny Compton and Napton) felt the report forgot about an "awful lot of people in the middle" who were potentially affected by the anti-social behaviour but whose voices had got lost in the middle of a debate dominated by extremes.

"Certainly where I live, people will live and let live but when it directly affects them they do get upset about it and I think that is a missed point here," she said. 

Mr Seccombe made clear it had been down to Mr Peet to present his findings as he saw fit but attempted to set context. 

"I hear what you say, and anti-social behaviour is important to those affected by it," he replied.

"What I think he is trying to say is that there are a lot of other things Warwickshire Police has to deal with, particularly on road safety. 

"We have fatalities and life-changing injuries on our roads. ASB is something that also needs to be policed but there are lots of other competing demands at the same time.

"As I read it, the reviewer is trying to put that in proportion when considering all the other things happening on our roads."

Mr Seccombe had expressed his commitment and that of the force to carry out all recommendations in full with Polly Reed, chief executive of the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner, detailing how progress would be tracked.

Warwick district councillor Jim Sinnott (Warwick Saltisford) replied: "That's quite reassuring because I found the recommendations rather woolly in a lot of areas.

"It is good that you are keeping track, that's only right and proper, but I would like to see it fed back, some real, tangible, concrete improvements.

"I wasn't overly impressed (by the recommendations) because it is a serious issue, there is a large group of people with an interest in this and we know the temperature can go up. It is not minor, it needs to be taken seriously."

Rugby borough councillor Claire Edwards (Lab, Coton & Boughton) highlighted areas where the wishlist was "quite vague" with Ms Reed stepping in to explain why. 

"The point is that the reviewer cannot compel the force," she said. 

"The PCC can absolutely say that it is his expectation that these things are put straight and hold the force to account but the reviewer cannot tell us or the force what to do, he is making recommendations.

"Having accepted them, we need to take them on. It is up to us to firm them up."

Mr Seccombe was later asked by independent member Andrew Davies about his confidence that the right processes were either in place or coming together. 

"Whether they are woolly or not, they are recommendations and I need to make sure that my office undertakes to do those that apply to us and hold the force to account in terms of carrying out the recommendations that apply to them," he replied.

"I think if all that is done, the policing and reporting of particularly anti-social behaviour on the roads surrounding this topic will improve. 

"I would like to see it eliminated but I think it will improve." 

Andy Davis, who is the other independent member who also chairs the panel asked if Mr Seccombe had been "happy" with the review.

"I think it is a step forward and for the remainder of my term I will be making sure the force really stands up to this," he added.

"There is now a special point of contact within the force. There is more education and understanding going on in the control room, which is plainly one of the recommendations here, so that they understand the reports coming in and the sort of response the police should be making.

"It is a highly-divisive subject and the force has to adopt a middle-of-the-road, fair position – perhaps if they are getting complaints from both sides of this argument, they are doing the right thing.

"It is very sensitive. The rural crime team plainly plays a big part in the response but so do our response officers, they are often the first on the scene.

"There will be more engagement with both sides of the debate, which can only be a good thing, so let's wait to see. 

"I am well aware that it was in the new government's manifesto that they will ban certain forms of hunting, maybe the law will change and if it does, the police response will change.

"I am pleased with the report, I think it is fair and Mr Peet has picked up on some items that definitely need improving. I will be doing my best to ensure they are improved."

The panel agreed to an annual review of progress on the recommendations starting in June 2025.