Three hunt supporters have been fined after admitting they punched saboteurs in Lacock at a Boxing Day meet where there was “tension in the air” last year.

Salisbury Magistrates’ Court heard how William Renny, Callum Lewis and Evan Lorne “regretted” their actions and felt “embarrassed” as they all pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause unlawful violence.

Videos which went viral on social media show clashes between anti-foxhunting protestors and hunt supporters outside the Red Lion pub on December 27 ahead of the annual Avon Vale Hunt. 

Prosecutor Tom Power told Salisbury Magistrates’ Court: “All three defendants play a slightly different role in events.

“Mr Renny threw a punch towards one of the hunt saboteurs, and Mr Lewis and Mr Lorne appear to throw multiple punches towards the saboteurs as general scuffles break out.

“The recording shows there is lots of tension in the air and the saboteurs are shouting and the defendants have been goaded by that.”

A two-minute clip was played to the court where Renny, of Flint Crescent in Westbury, can be seen punching a man.

Power explained: “Essentially what the footage shows is a hostile atmosphere with obviously two opposing sides. The saboteurs are shouting.

“It is difficult to pin down what each defendant experiences but either side could say they felt threatened by another.”

Presiding justice Rachel Gowshell noted that, in the footage, the 30-year-old “comes forward with aggression” while the saboteur is seen retreating.

Nicola Hutchnson, representing Renny, said:  “There were youths riding ponies who were approached by the saboteurs, who were said to be trying to spook the ponies.

“They were waving banners in front of their face and saying to the youths they wished they had fallen off their horses and were injured.

“Mr Renny said with that there was an incident where one of the saboteurs approached one of the others there and slapped a phone out of his hand, and he fully concedes at that stage he did lose his cool, he did punch out at that man once – not causing any injury.

“He fully concedes it was not the way to deal with the matter.”

But, fining Renny £538, Ms Gowshell said: “We’ve heard there was provocation and we’ve heard there was a general melee, but you have contributed to that general melee by getting involved in violence,” she said.

“It would have been quite distressing for people there as bystanders watching the level of violence and mayhem.”

The court also heard how the annual hunt was a “big part” of Lewis’s life as he would often ride or assist but that he is “no longer willing” to attend the hunt again after this incident.

Rebecca Veasey, representing Lewis, said that the incident had affected the 26-year-old’s reputation as a “mild-mannered person”.

She added: “This was not planned. Mr Lewis was asking them [the saboteurs] to back out of the row to make way for the horses.

“A saboteur was spitting at the riders and this saboteur put his hand on Mr Lewis’s throat and he lashed out in order to remove his hand from his neck, only to be put in a headlock from another,” she said.

“Only at a later stage did he make two ineffectual punches at another saboteur held up against a wall.”

And Ms Veasey, also representing Lorne, made the case that the teenager intervened “impulsively” after his father, who has arthritis, was allegedly pushed by the saboteurs.

She added: “Mr Lorne himself was grabbed by his collar at one stage, to whom he reacted against - admittedly somewhat disproportionately.”

Renny was fined £538 and Lewis, of Wood Lane in Chippenham was fined £554. Lorne, of The Lye in Melksham, was fined £200. All must also pay victim surcharges and costs.

Two other defendants, Andrew Purbrick, from Westbury, and Adrian Earl, 52, of Calne, will appear at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on April 13.

Wiltshire Police’s professional standards department is investigating 10 official complaints about policing surrounding a brawl in Lacock.

A spokesman said: "We’ve undertaken a review of our policing approach regarding this incident and, upon the conclusion of these criminal proceedings, we will publish a summary of this review."