‘Tally Ho’ sign in road where rescue cat was killed by fox hounds infuriates village

A Cornish village is in uproar after the road where a cat was mauled to death by fox hounds was given a "Tally Ho" sign.

Residents of Madron village, near Penzance, Cornwall, said the new street sign – which is a traditional hunting slogan that is shouted by the huntsman to tell the others the quarry has been sighted – should be removed.

It was installed after a resident of Tally Ho street complained that delivery drivers kept missing the lane.

However, furious locals said the sign was “immoral” and “like a kick in the teeth” after the death of a Mini, a 14-year-old rescue cat, in 2021.

Mini was killed by hounds used in the Western Hunt. They were being kept in kennels on the outskirts of the village and were on a routine walk off-lead when several of them broke into Mini's estate.

Her owner, Carly Jose, has since campaigned against fox hunting and become a member of a local fox hunt saboteur group.

'Promoting illegal animal abuse'

After the new sign was put up she said: "People say it's just a sign but it's a new sign and to me it defines the lack of support from the council.

"It feels like a kick in the teeth, it's immoral and promoting illegal animal abuse.

"When I looked up what it meant I was gobsmacked. It's not the same as an old pub name like the Fox and Hound.

"It's a brand new sign and considering what's happened within our village I think they're compassionless and lacking in empathy.

"My cat was murdered and thrown over the hedge like a piece of rubbish and we still live in fear."

Ms Jose also spoke about the impact on herself and her family emotionally, adding: "My daughters are on tenterhooks every week when the hunt happens locally.

"They're too scared to put their guinea pigs or cats out because of what happened to Mini.

"They can't get their head around what's happened – we haven't gotten any closure because they're still hunting.

"We're going to carry on doing everything we can to stop it from happening again and the council should be working with residents, not promoting illegal activity.

"Our beautiful wildlife doesn't deserve this – they're getting pleasure out of letting animals suffer."

'Most horrific crime'

Houndmaster John Lanyon Sampson, who owns the farm where the dogs are kept, was convicted at Truro Magistrates' Court in December 2021 of two offences related to the cat's death: being in charge of dogs dangerously out of control and criminal damage.

The new addition on the streets of Madron has reignited the debate.

One furious local said online: "The hunters committed and were convicted of the most horrific crime in this village.

"To continue to 'honour' them and promote their presence here is beyond offensive. That poor family and their beloved Mini."

Cornwall Council said: "This is not a new road name.

''It has been in place for many years, before Cornwall Council came into existence in 2009, dating back to the days of the former Penwith District Council."