PCC denies accepting hunting lobby cash

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said he was “very concerned” by MP Matt Western’s remarks in Parliament

The police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Warwickshire has denied accepting money from a lobbying organisation over the issue of trail hunting.

Conservative PCC Philip Seccombe spoke to BBC Midlands Today after the claim was made in the House of Commons earlier this week by the Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington, Matt Western.

The MP also described a review by the commissioner's office into Warwickshire Police's handling of the Warwickshire Hunt as a "sham".

Mr Seccombe said he was “very concerned” by the MP’s remarks in Parliament.

“Parliamentary privilege is a privilege and I think all members of Parliament should say the truth,” Mr Seccombe said.

“There was an allegation he made that I received funding from the Countryside Alliance - absolutely not true - and I'm also concerned about his opinion of our independent review going on into hunting in Warwickshire.”

The commissioner himself ordered the review, but Mr Western claimed it was not independent and described it as a sham.

Mr Seccombe said: “It's part of my role to hold Warwickshire Police to account, so we have appointed an independent reviewer who has experience of policing governance to look into it and there are no limits to who he can talk to.”

Campaigner Cathy Scott from Warwickshire said Freedom of Information requests had consistently been refused by the PCC and Warwickshire Police

The MP’s intervention has been welcomed by anti-hunt activists, however, including Cathy Scott from Warwickshire.

She said she wanted the review to be further separated from the commissioner, and added that she had spent years trying to get answers from both his office and from Warwickshire Police.

“Freedom of Information requests have consistently gone in to Warwickshire Police and consistently everyone is being stonewalled,” she said.

“We are receiving no responses or they use the exemption 32 which means that it's not in the public interest so they won't divulge.

“How are the public to know and have trust in their police and crime commissioner and in their local police force when simple questions just aren't being answered.”

Mr Western has refused to back down from his earlier comments.

“I’m going to leave it to the public inquiry that I have called for to find out what is going on,” Mr Western said.

“This is about trust and confidence in Warwickshire Police and the police and crime commissioner.”