Balaclava-clad hunt saboteurs have been hailed as heroes after claiming to have shutdown a Glorious Twelfth shoot.
Friday marked the start of red grouse shooting season in the UK, with August 12 traditionally the busiest among hunters hoping to gun down a wild bird or two.
So-called “beaters” drive birds from their nests straight into the line of fire for shooters who pay up to £23,000 for guns, ammunition and the chance to strike the panicked animals.
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One group less keen on the bloody sport is the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) whose members often put their bodies on the line to disrupt fox hunting around the country.
The animal lovers descended on Abbotside Common, North Yorkshire, dressed in their customary black outfits to get in the way of a large convoy of beaters and shooters who had assembled to kick off the season with a bang.
A HSA spokesperson commented from the scene: “On the day that drought was declared across the country, grouse shooters have taken to tinder-dry moorland to blast away at our wildlife.
"What are they thinking? Every year, these selfish, entitled people kill hundreds of thousands of birds, burn precious upland areas and litter the landscape with traps and snares. Our message to grouse shooters is a simple one: expect us.”
HSA claim a security guard had been hired by the organised shoot in anticipation of their arrival.
The HSA said on its website: "Their hired ‘muscle’ caused nothing but mirth, with the only serious concern being for the welfare of a poor Belgian shepherd dog that had been dragged on to the moors in 35C heat."
Police officers were also monitoring the area but HSA say sabs were left puzzled by their presence but eventually the shoot was abandoned.
The organisation continued: "A more serious threat was presented by the police, who arrived in an assortment of vans, cars and even scrambling motorbikes.
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"Unfortunately, many of the officers appeared to be suffering from severe heatstroke, accusing sabs of trespassing on what was obviously open access land.
"One particularly confused officer began trying to de-mask sabs before being bundled away by his colleagues. Despite these distractions, sabs stood their ground and the shoot was abandoned."
The Daily Star has contacted North Yorkshire Police for a comment.
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