Chris Packham says Land Rover firebombing at his home was ‘hit job’ by supporters of foxhunting
- Chris Packham believes he was targeted by arsonists over his foxhunting views
- A Land Rover was firebombed outside his remote New Forest home last October
- The conservationist believes the attack was a ‘hit job’ by foxhunting supporters
- He alleges threats and ‘aggro’ towards him increase during foxhunting season
BBC Springwatch host Chris Packham believes his stance on foxhunting is what caused him to be targeted in a firebombing last autumn.
The naturalist alleged the torching of his Land Rover Discovery was a ‘hit job’ likely carried out by a highly sophisticated gang who had ‘clearly done it before.’
Mr Packham, 61, said attacks on his property are ‘more common when fox season starts’ because he openly calls for an end to the ‘unnecessary cruelty’ of the sport.
The arson attack was carried outlast October at the TV presenter’s home in New Forest, Hants. The attackers allegedly torched his vehicle which then exploded and set fire to his gate and fence. It also destroyed a tree.
Police have yet to identify the arsonists despite having an amass of evidence and a CCTV image of a suspect.
The firebombing is the latest in a string of attacks seemingly targeting the famed conservationist and his family. Mr Packham has received death threats and his partner, Charlotte Corney, has been trolled.
BBC Springwatch host Chris Packham (pictured) believes his stance on foxhunting is what caused him to be targeted in a firebombing last autumn
‘The naturalist alleged the torching of his Land Rover Discovery was a ‘hit job’ likely carried out by a highly sophisticated gang who had ‘clearly done it before.’ CCTV cameras captured footage (pictured) of the incident near his New Forest home
‘The thing is, that all this stuff becomes more common when the fox hunting season starts because I am speaking out about it,’ Mr Packham told The Mirror on Friday.
‘There was no ambiguity about the fact that it was done by people who had clearly done it before and knew exactly what they were doing.’
The wildlife expert noted, however, that authorities are ‘hopeful’ someone will come forward with information about the attack.
He added: ‘They are hopeful that at some point in the next year someone will grass them up.’
Although Mr Packham has noted the aggressive actions targeting him and his family typically begin during foxhunting season, he has no intention to stop advocating for an end to the sport.
‘It has to come to an end. It’s one of my life’s missions,’ he explained.
‘We need to put an end that unnecessary cruelty.
‘We’re making progress and again, that is making life difficult because they don’t like losing. The aggro always begins as soon as the fox hunting starts.’
Mr Packham, 61, said attacks on his property are ‘more common when fox season starts’ because he openly calls for an end to the ‘unnecessary cruelty’ of the sport. The gate of his remote Marchwood property was destroyed following the late-night explosion (pictured)
Police have yet to identify the arsonists despite having an amass of evidence and a CCTV image (pictured) of a suspect
Foxhunting became illegal in England, Scotland and Wales nearly two decades ago when it was banned in hunting legislation.
However, the League Against Cruel Sports alleges hunter tend to ignore or exploit the protections in place.
Hunts in England and Wales started ‘trail hunting’ – a non-lethal sport where a hunt follows a pre-laid trail instead of searching for a fox – after fox hunts were banned.
The activist organisation claims trail hunting is used as a cover for illegal fox hunting.
Fox hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland. There are also exceptions outlined in the bans in England, Wales and Scotland that permit certain types of fox hunts, such as for pest control or scientific research.
A Land Rover was blown up outside the front gate of Mr Packham’s remote country home in October 2021. Pictured: Land Rover on fire in front of his gate
Mr Packham says authorities are ‘hopeful’ someone will come forward with information about the attack. Pictured: CCTV footage showing the Land Rover, which was parked outside his gate, engulfed in flames
The presenter of BBC’s Springwatch said that balaclava-clad thugs drove his car to his remote country home and set fire to it, before fleeing in a get-away vehicle
A Land Rover was blown up outside the front gate of Mr Packham’s remote country home in October 2021.
He previously claimed balaclava-clad thugs drove his car to the property and set fire to it, before fleeing in a get-away vehicle.
Mr Packham, who was alone in his house at the time, said that Land Rover turned into an inferno before it exploded shortly after.
The attack – which took place at the home in Hampshire’s New Forest that Packham shares with partner Corney and step-daughter Megan McCubbin – destroyed two large wooden gates.
The attack, captured on CCTV, came hours after Mr Packham marched to Buckingham Palace to call on the Royal Family to re-wild their estates. The royals have not been linked to the attack.
Describing the incident in an interview earlier this year, Mr Packham said: ‘The bang was tremendous, the dogs flew off of the bed and started yelping and barking straight away.
‘Where I live, we’re not prone to any loud interruptive noises at night so it was quite startling.
‘And then, of course, it came to pass that this vehicle had been parked outside the gate and was ablaze – thankfully attended by the fire service and the police.’
He added: ‘It wasn’t until the morning that we were able to fully asses the damage.
‘The car was completely burned out. It got so hot that the engine lock had melted.’
Hampshire Constabulary said in March an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The October 2021 attack came hours after Mr Packham marched to Buckingham Palace to call on the Royal Family to re-wild their estates. He is pictured at the demonstration on October 9
Following the incident, animal activist Mr Packham described the blaze as the latest in a series of ‘intimidation’ tactics – having already received written death threats and had dead animals pinned to his gate. He is pictured at an October 9, 2021 protest outside Buckingham Palace
The string of threats made against Chris Packham
April 2019: Chris Packham finds two dead crows hanging outside the gate of his New Forest home. The crows are hung up by pieces of string.
December 2019: Mr Packham finds a dead fox outside his house. He said the fox had a large dark mark on its body, consistent with a snare injury. The TV presenter said he believes the fox was left there by people targeting him.
February 2020: A badger is found hanging outside Mr Packham’s home. In a post on Twitter, he writes: ‘Always nice to get home after a long day at work to a warm welcome at the gate. I’d be grateful if you have an issue with me and my views if you could express it without killing innocent animals.
October 2021: A Land Rover is torched outside Mr Packham’s home. CCTV shows balaclava-clad men driving the vehicle up to the gate. It is then set on fire. Police launch an investigation.
Following the incident, animal activist Mr Packham described the blaze as the latest in a series of ‘intimidation’ tactics – having already received written death threats and had dead animals pinned to his gate.
Speaking to the BBC in October, he said: ‘We see this as an escalation of threats against us that have been ongoing for at least two to three years.’
‘We’ve received written death threats we’ve received all sorts of unpleasant things through the post.
‘Again, I’ve worked very closely with the police and they’ve given excellent guidance on how to deal with these things and we’ve been compliant.
‘But as you can imagine, gathering evidence to find out who the perpetrators are is very difficult and they’ve done their very best, but up until this point we’ve not been unable to pursue these individuals, although we have quite a good idea about who some of them might be.’
But Mr Packham remained defiant and promised to continue his campaigning, adding: ‘I suppose they perceive this to be an intimidating gesture which they think will frighten me into backing off, but I’m not easily intimidated by such gestures. So as a result I will stay true to my cause.’
In another video, the presenter raised the prospect of his opponents one day killing him.
He said: ‘Are they going to kill me at some point? I think it’s a fair question.’
He added: ‘I will not be cowed, I will not buckle. I cannot and will not let your intimidation sway me from my course.’
In 2019, Mr Packham received death threats after he launched a legal challenge in an attempt to stop people shooting so-called pest birds like pigeons and crows.
The presenter has also been sent packages of human excrement, had barbed wire left on his drive to puncture his tyres, and found dead crows hung from his gate.
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