Man filmed violently attacking animal rights activists with 'dead fox' at Boxing Day hunt

Boxing Day hunts are among the UK’s most divisive traditions.

Fifteen years after the Hunting Act was introduced, hunts still take place across Britain every Boxing Day. The Hunting Act came into force almost 700 years after fox hunting first began in England and Wales. It prohibits the chasing of wild animals in England and Wales, including fox hunting, deer hunting, hare hunting, hare coursing and mink hunting.

However, the Act does not completely ban hunting. Drag hunting is still allowed, which involves a pack of hounds following an artificially-laid scent.

It’s very common for hunts to be interrupted or sabotaged by protestors, who suspect that hunts are ignoring the ban and harming foxes anyway.

The RSPCA has warned that trail hunting is often used as a "smokescreen" for traditional hunting.

A shocking video has emerged that hunt “saboteurs” in Sheffield claim shows their car being violently attacked by a man wielding the corpse of a dead fox.

The video shows a man (presumably a hunting supporter) repeatedly slamming what appears to be a fox’s body against their car.

Afterwards, animal rights activist Charlotte Smith uploaded photos to Twitter showing blood across the windows of the group’s vehicle.

Hunt saboteurs, or “sabs”, follow hunts and try to sabotage them if they suspect that animals are being harmed. It is unclear who the man who allegedly hit the car with a dead fox was, or if he was affiliated with any hunting group. It's also unclear how the fox was killed.

But this shockingly viole​ntvideo will undoubtedly cause distress, and is a clear indication that this debate isn't going anywhere.

More: Boxing Day hunts are taking place across the country and people are furious