I notice the vexed question of hunting is back on the agenda.

From a personal point of view, I’m happy to say I’ve never really understood the desire to chase an animal to exhaustion before allowing it to be killed.

I sort of go along with the famous Oscar Wilde quote describing fox hunting as: “The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable.”

But I’m an avowed townie and know little of these ye olde quaint countryside traditions.

It was the Labour government in February 2005 that brought in The Hunting Act which banned the hunting of wild mammals (notably foxes, deer, hares and mink) with dogs in England and Wales.

Interestingly the Act does not cover the use of dogs in the process of flushing out an unidentified wild mammal, nor does it affect drag or trail hunting, where hounds are trained to follow an artificial scent.

But it has been problematic ever since. Just ask Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner David Keane, who also just happens to be a Labour councillor on Warrington Borough Council.

In March 2019, his attempts to make sure hunts in Cheshire are planned and conducted lawfully were labelled a ‘ridiculous waste of money’ by pro-hunting campaigners.

The Countryside Alliance accused Keane, of having an ‘obsession with hunting’ and called on him to spend his force’s resources on tackling ‘real crime’ instead.

The anguished cries of the Countryside Alliance came after Mr Keane commissioned an independent review into hunting, which put forward 11 recommendations to improve the way hunts are policed in Cheshire.

But still the issue of hunting rumbles on and Cheshire West and Cheshire is the latest organisation to have a go.

According to Local Democracy reporter Ethan Davies: “Trail hunting in Cheshire West is to be put under the microscope as the council looks to put together a cross-party group to examine the controversial activity.”

Wednesday’s cabinet meeting saw a proposal to establish the group – which will be chaired by deputy leader Cllr Karen Shore and feature two additional Labour members, and one councillor each from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Independent groups – following full-council approval to look into trail hunting in December.

At the whole council summit, representatives backed Cllr Matt Bryan’s motion to ‘develop a policy’ on the issue.

At the meeting, Cllr Bryan said: “We have a duty as a council to enforce protection on our land but also the flora and fauna on it.”

Personally, I think establishing the group is a good idea. I wouldn’t want a hunt – trail or otherwise – riding roughshod over my land without permission and putting some kind of formal framework in place, as the police commissioner tried to do, seems reasonable.

But, and it’s a big but, I would ask the question if now is a reasonable time to be using up significant council resources while we’re in the middle of a deadly pandemic?

I’m not sure it is and I strangely find myself agreeing with a number of Tory councillors who argued the authority’s time was better spent on other matters during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Take, for example, Cllr Hugo Deynhem, who represents Sandstone, and said: “I cannot see any logical or practical reason to tie up cabinet in such meaningless work on developing policy on a matter we don’t even have evidence of. I should hardly need to remind Labour members that we are in the middle of a pandemic.”

He’s got a point. As important as the issue of hunting is, I think I’d prefer to see my council park up this one for the time being, concentrate on its pandemic response and return to the matter when it can be given the full attention it deserves.

On a different note, I read with some interest – and a great deal of incredulity – the story in the Guardian about an assault that took place in Verdin Park, in Northwich.

Three teenage girls were sitting on a park bench overlooking Castle Street, and stared to walk off after being approached by a strange man.

One of the girls was then assaulted before being chased out of the main entrance of the park.

The poor girl wasn’t injured but was quite understandably left shocked and distressed by the incident.

And from what the police said, it sounds like a man of similar description has committed similar offences in Northwich and Macclesfield over the past few months.

And how can they be sure?

Well, let’s just take a look at his description, shall we?

The man is described as white, aged 30 to 40 years old, approximately 6ft, with a long, light coloured beard.

He was wearing a black beanie-style hat, black fleece zipped coat and a long red skirt down to his ankles that appeared to have a pattern on.

Yes, you read that right…a long red skirt down to his ankles.

I’m no police detective but to be completely honest, it shouldn’t be too difficult to spot a bearded 6ft man wearing a long red skirt, should it?