A PROTEST was held outside Hereford Police Station calling for all wildlife crime to be investigated by officers.

The protest was organised by the Animal Welfare Party (Cheshire East) and Save The Ban and had originally been arranged to call for charges to be made in the South Herefordshire Hunt case.

But when last Thursday it was announced that five people had been charged with animal cruelty, the protestors said they would continue their protest but it would instead be about the wider context of wildlife crime.

Around 60 to 70 protestors stood outside the police station in Bath Street on Saturday.

Jane Smith, from the Animal Welfare Party, said: "It was really well attended by local people, as well as people from further afield.

"There was lots of support from passing members of the public. It went really peacefully.

"We have every confidence we got our message across. We want all wildlife crime investigated and prosecuted."

Chief Inspector Steve Owen of Herefordshire Police said: "The protest went ahead peacefully on Saturday without incident. There was a proportionate policing response and members of the public weren't inconvenienced and went ahead with their daily business."

Five people appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court today.