The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) owns and manages 3 per cent of the Lake District National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site. LDNPA have previously licensed five fox hunts to 'trail hunt' on this land, the upkeep of which is paid by the taxpayer. Although the LDNPA state on their website that the hunt's  'activity is restricted to the exercising of hounds, trail-following or drag hunting,'    self-reporting forms returned by the hunts show that they are killing frequently, although kills are only reported if they think they may have been witnessed by a member of the public. 

Freedom of Information requests have revealed that the Blencathra Foxhounds have admitted to killing 20 foxes and chasing 67 on their report forms. Although the LDNPA are aware of this they say that these incidents are 'regrettable' but continue to allow this hunt to use public land for hunting. 

The LDNPA licences hunts to use public land from the beginning of October - however the hunts are permitted to hunt there without licence from the end of August. 

Although both the National Trust and the Forestry Commission publish dates of meets for the hunts they licence, the LDNPA do not currently make these meets available to the public. The meets can only be obtained retrospectively by Freedom of Information request, meaning that members of the public, walkers and visitors to the Lake District, are often horrified witnesses to foxes being chased by packs of hounds on LDNPA public land. 

It is inconceivable that a public body which is under obligation to be transparent and accountable, would continue to hide the dates and locations of fox hunts which are active on the nation's land.

We demand that the LDNPA publish all hunting meets in advance on their website so that members of the public and visitors to the Lake District can avoid areas where hunts may be illegally killing wildlife. 

https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/caringfor/policies/trail-hunting-faqs