ANIMAL rights demonstrators disrupted a prize-giving day at an agricultural college over animal cruelty claims.
They claimed some students had been involved in a sick game resulting in the death of a cat and a fox.
Police said they could find no evidence to back the claims but 12 activists gathered at the entrance of Hartpury College in Gloucestershire which has more than 1,500 students.
The row began when images on social media appeared to show a fox being killed and a dead cat being held by its tail.
Police have closed the case of the cat saying it belonged to a member of staff and had been knocked over by a car and killed before the student found the body.
It is understood the student has since been expelled.
And college officials said the fox was found badly hurt after also being hit by a car and was put out of its misery by a student.
In a statement, the college said the incident had been filmed and shared online which was “distressing” and “completely unacceptable.”
“We have concluded the fox cub was injured in a road traffic accident involving some of our students,” it said.“One of the students acted to dispatch the injured fox to cease its suffering.“The college and the police are satisfied the decision to end the fox’s life was made only with the intention to end its suffering and this was not an act of animal cruelty.“We are supporting the RSPCA with their ongoing investigations.”
One said: “There is a wildlife hospital within half hour of here and members of the public take animals there all the time.“If the fox was injured by a car why didn’t they take it there?”
