'Out of control' hunt accused of killing fox in Macclesfield garden

A hunt which saw "out of control" foxhounds fill a suburban street and allegedly kill a fox left people "traumatised", a resident has said.

Residents reported "horrific" scenes when the dogs came into Penningtons Lane, Macclesfield, on Saturday.

Police are investigating a claim that the animals were chasing a fox which was later found dead in a back garden.

A spokesman for Cheshire Forest Hunt said they "apologised" for what had happened.

Police were called to the street after the dogs and huntsmen arrived

The RSPCA said it had been made aware of "an incident where hounds allegedly pursued a fox"

Resident Julie Clarke, 47, who witnessed the hunt said it was "horrific" and had left locals "scared and outraged".

"I saw two quad bikes [and] about 20 hounds that came screaming down the road and a man dressed in his regalia," she said.

"Those dogs were out of control.

"I am upset, furious and appalled that people are getting away with this.

"There are a lot of older residents around here and a lot of them have been traumatised."

Witnesses said hunt members on quad bikes retrieved the dead fox from a garden

Other residents said the dogs had been running through nearby fields at about 12:45 GMT before they ran into the lane.

They said hunt members on the quad bikes had retrieved the dead fox from the garden before police arrived.

Images of the dead animal were later posted on social media by animal rights campaign group Stop The Cull.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said the charity had been "made aware of an incident where hunt hounds allegedly pursued a fox in a residential street in Macclesfield".

"We are assisting the police with this matter," he added.