POLICE and the RSPCA have launched a joint investigation after a fox was allegedly torn apart by hounds at the edge of a busy main road at the weekend.

A member of the public reported to police that a fox was being killed by hounds near to the A684 on Winton Bank, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, at about 2.50pm on Saturday.

Killing foxes with dogs is now illegal under legislation introduced last year, but witnesses claimed they saw the fox being savaged by hounds.

The second witness, a woman, said she had run over a fox in her car in that area and had then seen the creature being set upon by the hounds.

The body of a fox has since been recovered from the scene and experts from the RSPCA are examining the remains in an attempt to determine the cause of death.

Earlier this month, in an incident in Dorset, a number of residents in Bradford Peverell reported the killing of a fox by hounds after the pack ran amok in a number of the gardens.

Dorset Police said they were investigating the matter, and revealed it was likely that huntsmen would be called to the station to account for why the dogs were not under proper control.

Following yesterday's incident, Inspector Mike Harvey said: "We are looking into this matter with the RSPCA and are requesting anyone who saw the incident to contact us."

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA confirmed that the organisation was investigating the apparent breach of the law with the police.

She said: "We take this sort of thing very seriously and I expect a full post-mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of death."

The hunt involved in the incident is not yet known, but a spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said there were so many loopholes in the law that some killings could still be legal.

He said: "Hunts can still go out as they traditionally have to exercise their hounds and horses and to follow trails set down previously.

"If the hounds get the scent of a fox and follow it, and the huntmasters can't control them and the hounds kill the fox, then that is counted as accidental under the legislation."

He added: "The legislation is the most poorly-drafted since the Dangerous Dogs Act and has been criticised by some MPs and police.

"Some senior officers have called it unenforceable. Even if officers were out with the hunts, how would they ascertain whether any killing was deliberate or accidental?"