Hundreds have taken to Facebook to register complaints after Tesco advertised a fox hunting fancy dress costume for little boys on their website. The costume was described as a “red fox hunter jacket” for children aged seven and older, modelled by a young boy and priced at £10.41. Facebook page 'Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs' noticed the outfit and posted about it on their page to encourage their members to contact Tesco and ask for it to be removed from stories amid claims it was “encouraging children to take up a highly cruel animal bloodsport” and exhibiting “appalling” behaviour. The costume was listed "for World Book Day, school shows or just dressing up fun", but not everyone thought it seemed like fun.
Fans of the saboteur page were disgusted as the fancy dress item, writing “I am appalled at how you are selling fancy redcoat fox hunters fancy dress clothes for kids" and “Are you really trying to encourage them to take up a highly cruel animal bloodsport? I would like this complaint to be forwarded to your head office.” Tesco quickly took the item down, explaining that it was listed on the site through a third-party vendor, and issued a statement to The Independent, reading “We've listened to customers and have immediately removed this product from sale." Despite dealing with the problem so quickly anti-hunt groups have still criticised the supermarket for listing the costume in the first place, and called the use “poor judgement.”
A spokesperson for the The Hunt Saboteurs Association, Lee Moon, said: “This appears to be remarkably poor judgement from Tesco. Fox hunting is an illegal, archaic pastime that's abhorred by the majority of the population. Why Tesco would think it's an appropriate fancy dress costume for children is quite beyond us. We look forward to seeing their badger baiting or dog fighting outfit in the near future!“
