HUNT saboteurs wearing balaclavas tried to disrupt a grouse shoot in the Dales on Saturday.

According to reports, approximately 60 to 70 saboteurs took part in the action in Swaledale.

Police were called after the protesters gathered in the centre of Reeth and followed the shooting party onto the moors.

Dalesport, which runs shoots, said the saboteurs tried to stone vehicles and intimidate shoot staff.

A spokesman said: “It was a shocking encounter in this tranquil area of the national park.

“Half the sabs were dressed in black with balaclavas in an attempt to prevent their identity.

“The police arrived to disperse them but not before further threats were made to the shoot staff.”

A spokesperson for the West Yorkshire Hunt Saboteurs, who joined activists from all over the country, said: “The shoot was forced to pack up and leave the moors early today and the lives of countless birds were saved.”