A huntsman was caught on drone footage allowing hounds to pursue a fox during a Boxing Day incident on Dartmoor.

Jason Marles, 44, admitted hunting a wild mammal with dogs at Pudson farm in Okehampton, Devon.

Exeter Magistrates Court heard today Marles was an employee at the Eggesford Hunt and was seen on drone footage with four other people by a barn standing around some hounds.

The court heard two people were seen digging up ground and a fox was spotted near shrubs in the area.

The fox ran away and the hounds gave chase into hedgerow and there was no attempt by Marles to call back the hounds from pursuing the fox.

District Judge Stuart Smith was told on this occasion Marles accepted that the hounds pursued the fox.

The court heard Marles, of the Eggesford Hunt Kennels at Chumleigh, Devon, was this week emigrating to New Zealand for the next five years.

The judge fined him £500 with £285 costs saying Marles was a huntsman who had a responsibility in the hunt.

At the same court, a 32-year-old man admitted intentional disorderly behaviour and careless driving during two incidents with hunt saboteurs in Devon.

Thomas Bounsall, of Hessary View, Princetown, reversed a quad bike at speed into a busy roadway to let out hunters on horseback during a regular winter hunt meeting at Chulmleigh Beacon, Devon.

His quadbike struck a female hunt sab's hand causing soreness which was caught on footage last November.

Electrical engineer Bounsall was also seen on footage confronting a hunt sab at an Eggesford Hunt fox hunt on January.

The hunt volunteer drove his quadbike close to a male sab on a road and then an angry verbal confrontation followed before he drove off.

The judge said the careless driving offence was an unsafe manoeuvre and said Bounsall was clearly squaring up to the sab in the second incident.

He was fined a total of £2,185 with costs for both incidents after admitting careless driving and a public order offence.

Hunting charges against a third individual - Lloyd Heard of Pudson farmhouse, Hatherleigh, Devon - were withdrawn by the prosecution.