Any updates on the Freepost caper?

£10000 so far ;)

Quoted: £10000 so far ;)

Damn.... that's gotta hurt!

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".

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."

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.

"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.

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."

My heart bleeds! Anyone seem a deer........?  

It's amazing how they have the cheek to say that the pro hunters (or just plain anti-LACS people) can stoop so low, when these people will firebomb, intimidate families of workers, destroy parts of the countryside, hinder and threaten folk going about their lawful country pursuits.

It's a disgrace.

Send more letters, perhaps even stick a note in complaining about thier underhand and low-stooping tactics.

It's only a shame that I couldn't send them a couple of crate's of Bavarian Rock, It don't taste nowt like the Blackpool rock that I used to know and love as a kid, but it should be heavy enough to hurt their pocket some more.

Tony

Quoted: £10k? Shame..

Only 10 grand?

Too bad we couldn't get into the fun.

We could have made it £50,000+ very easily.

[start Evil Laughter]

Evil Laughter

[/Evil Laughter]

Quoted: Quoted: £10k? Shame.. Only 10 grand? Too bad we couldn't get into the fun. We could have made it £50,000+ very easily. [start Evil Laughter] Evil Laughter [/Evil Laughter]

It was 10K as reported before Christmas, the freepost address is still valid and costing them money if I hear correctly. I reckon the minimum contract period for a freepost address must be at least 2 months.

Was chastised my missuss earlier for trying to put tree bark in Jiffy bag!  (huggers )

She reckons I've made my point