Animal rights activist 'may sue' (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Animal rights activist 'may sue'

ANIMAL rights activist Paul Richardson is to complain to the Press Complaints Commission over a Sunday Express article which claimed he was the ringleader of a plot to injure Prince William during a fox hunt.

Mr Richardson, a member of Cirencester Animal Rights, has also instructed his solicitor to look into grounds for legal action over the allegations.

The 62-year-old said the article, based on a tape-recording by an undercover reporter, was a complete fabrication, and he has also written to the editor to express his anger.

In a front-page article, the paper claimed Mr Richardson was planning to knock Prince William off his horse during the Beaufort Hunt's traditional Boxing Day meet.

The paper claimed the stunt was being planned by a shadowy group called the Beaufort Fox Sabs, which it said was led by Mr Richardson.

Mr Richardon said: "I refute everything in the article, I've never heard of the Beaufort Fox Sabs.

"I don't believe in hunting, but I would never condone the use of violence against hunt supporters, and I have never threatened anyone with violence."

The article claimed Mr Richardson was planning to take 40 anti-hunt activists to the Boxing Day hunt.

They were said to be planning to use tape recordings of hounds to scare the prince's horse into rearing up, throwing him to the ground.

The reporter visited Mr Richardson on Friday, claiming he was an animal rights supporter who wanted to write an article to get publicity for the anti-hunt movement.

Mr Richardson said it was the reporter who suggested the idea of injuring the prince.

He said: "I said we don't do things like that, we do not want to injure anyone, we are about saving foxes.

"It was all his words, not mine.

"I have never demonstrated against the Beaufort Hunt, and I'm not planning to go there on Boxing Day."

He has asked the police to investigate the matter on the grounds of incitement to commit a crime.

The reporter asked Mr Richardson how he would feel if the prince fell. "I said I would have no sympathy for him, but I would never try to unseat him," he said.

After six-minutes, Mr Richardson became suspicious, and asked the reporter to leave.

The article also claimed Mr Richardson regularly appears as an animal expert on Blue Peter, but in fact he has never appeared on the programme.

He has appeared on Pet Rescue and Pets and Vets.

Mr Richardson runs the Cotswold Swan and Wild Bird Rescue Centre in Cirencester, although this is not connected with his animal rights work.

*The Government outlined its long-awaited plans for hunting this week. Under the plans, hunting would be allowed under licence where it was needed for pest-control.