A West hunt has been described as “incompetent, hopeless and careless” by the League Against Cruel Sports after hounds allegedly strayed onto a railway line.

It is the second safety incident involving hounds from the Somerset-based Seavington Hunt in 18 months. In February last year three hounds were killed in collisions with cars on the A303 near Tintinhull, Yeovil.

On Saturday, hunt monitors filmed a fox running down the main London to Exeter train line, with hounds close behind.

The hunt said it was hunting an artificial scent. But Joe Duckworth, chief executive of the League, said only a fool would lay an artificial scent near a busy dual carriageway or railway line.

Mr Duckworth said: “The carnage this hunt could have caused doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Jeremy Darke, Senior Master of the Seavington Hunt said last night (Tuesday): “We were hunting within the law that morning, and like other hunts act in a responsible and legal way. No hounds were injured and as far as I am aware there was no incident with a train. We have an internal investigation but until we are given a copy of the film I cannot comment further.”