A CHEPSTOW man has appeared in court alongside four others to face animal cruelty charges.

The case comes after footage emerged of fox cubs allegedly being taken into the kennels of hunting hounds to be killed.

Anti-hunt activists contacted police after installing hidden cameras at the South Herefordshire Hunt kennels in 2016.

The group are accused of throwing the cubs into the hounds’ kennel so the dogs could get “a taste for killing.”

The undercover footage also showed a man appearing to dump a dead fox cub in a wheelie bin near a large corrugated iron shed where the hounds are kept.

Paul Reece, 47 and pictured, appeared alongside Paul Oliver, 39, Nathan Parry, 38, Julie Elmore, 54 and Hannah Rose, 29, at Birmingham Magistrates Court yesterday (15th May).

They spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses during the 30 minute long hearing and were not required to enter a plea.

Reece faces two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Oliver and Rose of Sutton Crosses, near Spalding, Lincs, both face four counts of animal cruelty.

Elmore and Parry, of Brynarw, Abergavenny, are charged with four counts of killing fox cubs, contrary to the 2006 Animal Welfare Act.

District Judge Neil Davidson adjourned the case so defence solicitors could view the footage and other documents put forward by the prosecution.

All have been granted unconditional bail and will return to court on 19th June.