LACS Chair Norris Arrested for Child Sex Offences

The Chair of the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) Dan Norris has stepped down from his post after being arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.

Norris, who is also the Labour Party MP for Northeast Somerset and Hanham, was released on conditional bail after police raided his home on Friday morning.

Avon and Somerset Police said the arrest was prompted by a referral from anther police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences committed against a girl.

“Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we're also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s,” the force said.

"An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage. The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.”

Dan Norris MP has stepped down from his position as LACS chair following allegations of child sex offences.

Neither the Labour Party nor LACS have commented on the matter, however Norris has had his party membership suspended and the parliamentary whip removed, meaning he no longer sits as a Labour Party MP.

Norris is not the first politician associated with LACS to be brought down by accusations of sexual impropriety. In January, former veterans minister Ivor Caplin was arrested in Brighton for allegedly attempting to meet with a 15-year-old boy he had spoken to online. Caplin had previously been awarded a lifetime membership by LACS for his role in sponsoring the 2004 Hunting Act.

To add to Norris’ troubles, on Monday The Telegraph revealed that the MP is also accused of bullying and harassment in his capacity as Mayor of the West of England: a position he has held since 2021 and is due to step down from before local elections in May. Combined with his work as an MP, Norris currently collects a combined salary of £180,000 per year.

According to documents seen by The Telegraph, staff at the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) felt there was “a need to protect officers from the mayor” and that there had been “unprecedented levels of turnover” since Norris took office.

In one instance, Weca was made to issue a £219,000 severance payout to its Chief Executive Dr Patricia Greer after “instances of sub-optimal interaction” between Weca officers and Mayor Norris.

Norris (left) with BBC presenter Chris Packham (centre) at an event in Parliament hosted by cosmetics brand Lush.

At the time that Norris was selected as the Labour Party parliamentary candidate in Somerset, he was also under investigation for suspected unlawful use of public money for a bus advert.

LACS – the main campaign organ against legal trail hunting – has faced turmoil in recent months after Chief Executive Andy Knott stepped down in July, accusing the charity of becoming “an empty vessel of the Labour Party.”

Police began investigating the charity for fraud after Knott said that Norris had asked him not to criticise Labour for backing down on a total hunting ban prior to the general election. Knott accused the party, then in opposition, of “interfering in the strategy and operations of the charity”.

Norris is a highly connected and influential figure within the broader animal rights fraternity. In June 2024, he received a donation of £20,000 from Ecotricity, the green energy firm set up by Dale Vince, who also supports groups like Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, and Grand National disrupters Animal Rising.

In December 2024, Norris was photographed alongside Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy and BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham at an event against animal testing hosted by the cosmetics company Lush. That same month, Packham joined members of the Northants Hunt Sabs on a joyride, including time spent with convicted bomb-maker Mel Broughton.

With its Chair now facing a potential prison sentence, LACS faces an existential crisis. Meanwhile, the Labour government, which has previously committed to tightening so-called “loopholes” in existing hunting legislation will need to examine how much its position has been influenced by unsavoury characters like Norris and Caplin.

Our message to the government is simple: it’s not too late. The Hunting Act works, and trail hunting is a thriving, legal pastime enjoyed by thousands of people from all walks of life. Don’t be swayed by the rhetoric of alleged rapists like Norris.