Gas company admits error in £5k grant to League Against Cruel Sports

A gas company has apologised after it handed a £5,000 grant to a League Against Cruel Sports sanctuary criticised for its conditions.

Calor Gas has admitted that the donation to the anti-hunting charity did not comply with the rules of their community fund. They are “in discussion” about whether or not the money will be returned, a spokesman said.

It came after a slew of complaints about the decision through an online letter organised by the Countryside Alliance and on social media.

The money was due to fund a new education hub at the League’s Baronsdown wildlife sanctuary near Dulverton in Somerset.

The sanctuary has previously attracted criticism over its refusal to cull deer which it was alleged was leading to starvation and disease.

The charity has also been censured in the past for political activity and had numerous clashes with the country sports community.

Divena Chambers, who questioned the decision on social media, said: “Every farrier I know carries Calor gas for portable forges, there is uproar over this, they shoe a lot of horses for country sports. Tonight they are all intent on finding an alternative."

Calor said in a statement that it had further reviewed the donation and found that it was “non-compliant with the Calor Rural Community Fund Scheme rules” and there had been an “oversight”.

The spokesman added that the fund has “always been non-political in its nature and Calor regrets any offence that this oversight caused”.

But campaigners warned that they would continue to lobby until the company confirmed that the money has been withdrawn.

Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance said “We sincerely hope, that as the rules have not been complied with, that this funding is withdrawn completely. "

He said that the League was "not a group that organisations such as Calor should be blindly giving money to or associating with.”

The League responded by saying that though they did not actually keep deer as they are wild animals and claimed their management of the sanctuary has actually seen disease levels among the animals fall.

Chris Luffingham, Deputy CEO of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “We submitted our application in good faith, and we are dismayed to see the level of vitriol levelled at Calor by a small section of the rural community that see the League as a threat."