swanseajack 227 Posted December 22, 2005 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 :11: 22 December 2005 EXCLUSIVE: ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP HORSE & HOUNDED By Louise Male AN animal rights group has been bombarded with abusive mail from hunt supporters in a scam that has cost it thousands of pounds. The League Against Cruel Sports was targeted after it launched an appeal for donations using a Freepost address. Hunters sent out a round-robin email urging supporters to abuse the system by sending heavy parcels for which the League would have to pay. Van loads of bricks, telephone directories, heavy books, abusive letters and animal excrement were sent to the League's offices. So far the cost is more than £10,000. Among the hunt supporters who apparently forwarded the email is Amelisa Robinson, the wife of the Queen's equerry Simon Robinson. And the scam was backed by TV host Jeremy Clarkson who said in his newspaper column he was going to send a "paving stone or a horse". Advertisement Mike Hobday, of the League, said: "Not content with abusing our wildlife for their own entertainment, they are now trying to deprive us of funds donated by our supporters. Many of our supporters who use Freepost are pensioners." perhaps they should stop robbing pensioners of their pension then.. Actress and model Lisa B, an animal welfare supporter, was outraged when she received the email. She said: "It is so wrong, so below the belt. It is a fraudulent way of taking money from people who believe in the cause." The scam was sparked after the League appealed for funding for its Hunt Crimewatch campaign which gathers evidence of illegal hunts after they were banned in February. Hunt supporters seized on the chance to send an avalanche of mail to its HQ in Southwark, South London. Tory MP Michael Gove and Richard Dodd, of the pro-hunt Countryside Alliance, were sent the email. There is no suggestion they took part in the scam. Top Gear's Clarkson urged hunt supporters to take part in the scam, saying it would leave the League less to spend on surveillance gear. Another newspaper's gossip column urged "those who like to hunt - or just don't like the animal rights lobby" - to send an empty envelope to the address so that the League "incurs a Royal Mail charge". But yesterday Mr Hobday insisted: "It is clear so far that this trick has backfired. The reaction we have had from the public is one of disgust and dismay that the bloodsports lobby could stoop so low. :11: Bollocks :11: it's cost them money.... "We have passed this material to the authorities and believe there is enough evidence to land many pro-hunters in hot water." Lisa B notified the League, set up in 1924 to stop violence against animals, as soon as she got the email. She said: "There has been no grace in the behaviour of these people trying to bring the organisation down. "I believe people are entitled to their own opinion, but I don't see how this behaviour can be remotely justified. It is also an injustice to the whole postal service." Police confirmed they were investigating if the culprits could be charged with theft, fraud or sending malicious post. Just forwarding the email could result in criminal proceedings. Mrs Robinson was not available for comment. :11: Bollocks again.... send them 1p :11: When the Mirror called her, she said: "This is not a good time, I'm bathing the children. Speak to the press office." Buckingham Palace, where her husband works, said: "The email was not sent on a Palace computer. Amelisa is not employed by Buckingham Palace." :11: can we keep sending in our donations??? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
barraboy 28 Posted December 22, 2005 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 i dont understand why its a scam to reply to their ad, and to capitalise on their mistake! and if they are getting van loads of post that only shows how much active opposition there is tp their campaign. media can twist a story anyway they wish. Headline could have been LACS FOLLY REVEALS THE EXTENT OF OPPOSITION TO THE HUNTING BAN. but its far better to bash us over the head, humanely of course. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cragman 2,757 Posted December 22, 2005 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 Barraboy, you're spot on mate. The press ALWAYS distort the truth to appease the masses, if they think that's what will please them :realmad: . Shower of c*nts! :realmad: KEEP HUNTING AND POSTING. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jordan 1 Posted December 22, 2005 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 I was worried about the envelope being to heavy so i sent 10 envelopes with 1p in each i hope i can help them monitor this evil act. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swanseajack 227 Posted December 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 Not much good will in Christmas cards from hunt lobby HAMISH MACDONELL SCOTTISH POLITICAL EDITOR AT FIRST glance, it appears as if an extraordinary spirit of Christmas rapprochement has broken out between those traditional foes, the Countryside Alliance and the League Against Cruel Sports. Why else would thousands of hunt supporters be sending out cards with seasonal good wishes to the headquarters of the anti-hunt brigade? However, as with most interactions between these two bodies, there is more to this festive largesse than first appears. The reason for the Christmas mail-shot is that the Countryside Alliance spotted what it believed was a loophole in the league's fundraising drive which could cost the anti-hunt organisation a considerable amount of money - and all the hunt supporters had to do was send Christmas cards. The League Against Cruel Sports is currently running a money-raising drive for its Hunt Crimewatch Programme. The money will be used "to buy video cameras, hand-held global-positioning systems and walkie-talkies to monitor hunting activity". The anti-hunt group purchased a Freepost address to make it easier for donors to send in the money. But, as with all Freepost addresses, the host organisation has to pick up the postage charges for all mail sent to that address, with every envelope costing the recipient more than a first-class stamp. It costs £210 to set up a standard Freepost address, and the recipient then has to pay 39p for each piece of mail received. So some figures in the Countryside Alliance sent out a message to hunt supporters suggesting they send a Christmas card in an envelope, minus a stamp, to the League Against Cruel Sports Freepost address - leaving the league to pick up the postage. So far, 14 sack-loads of unsolicited mail have arrived at the League's London headquarters, a deluge which has forced the organisation, in desperation, to contact the police and the Royal Mail. A spokeswoman for the league said last night that the police were investigating and the anti-hunt body was confident that it would not have to pick up the bill for the mischief caused by the Countryside Alliance. She said: "The hunters are doing this. They are trying to deprive us of money to protect animals. A lot of our supporters are elderly and if the result of their actions is that the fiver sent by an old lady from her pension does not go where it is intended, they are stealing from us." The league spokeswoman said it was an offence to abuse the Freepost system and an offence to incite abuse of the system, both of which were being investigated. In the meantime, the League Against Cruel Sports now has thousands of extra, and unexpected, Christmas cards with which to decorate its office. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cadno Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 any body bn hunting 2day Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BBC Posted January 23, 2006 Report Share Posted January 23, 2006 HI I work for BBC Radio 4 and we are looking to interview someone on our PM programme who has been involved in the LACS Freepost campaign and feels that a justified campaign has been scuppered by the generosity of the Post Office. If anyone is interested please e-mail Charlie.bell@bbc.co.uk. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
swanseajack 227 Posted January 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2006 HI I work for BBC Radio 4 and we are looking to interview someone on our PM programme who has been involved in the LACS Freepost campaign and feels that a justified campaign has been scuppered by the generosity of the Post Office. If anyone is interested please e-mail Charlie.bell@bbc.co.uk. We made out point, whether it cost them £2000 or £50,000 it made them panic... put a link up here for your broadcast, so if you do get anyone to chat we can have a listen, what time is it on ? Try this site below perhaps you might get an articulate volunteer.. http://www.hunting-directory.co.uk/cgi-bin...um=1137960597/0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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