Fury at ads offering Brits trophy hunting trips to shoot Santa’s reindeer

Furious comic Ricky Gervais said: “How do they think kids are going to feel when they find out there are people who shoot reindeer for fun?”

A British firm has been offering trips to shoot reindeer despite an outcry from stars and MPs.

The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting found that a Scottish field sports travel agency was advertising the jaunts to Norway.

Comic and animal rights campaigner Ricky Gervais told us: “It tells you everything you need to know about the sick mentality of these people.

“It’s bad enough that British companies are allowed to sell lion and elephant trophy hunting holidays.

“But for a British company to be marketing reindeer shooting trips at Christmas takes the biscuit.

“How do they think kids are going to feel when they find out there are people who shoot reindeer for fun?”

Hendry, Ramsay & Waters, which is based in Newburgh, Fife, takes hunters to the Breheimen and Jotunheimen national parks.

Its website boasted that these were among the first trips to the area since hunting was banned eight years ago, and now it was legal again the “untouched territory” was a haven for trophy hunters.

We first brought attention to the firm last Christmas.

A page giving details about trips to Norway to hunt reindeer was pulled from its website this month but the majestic beasts were still listed among the animals on offer.

A US website also offers Brits reindeer hunting trips to Greenland and Finland. It is selling a four-day trip to Finland – where it boasts there are just 900-1,500 left – for £10,296.

Grahame Morris, Labour MP for Easington, Co Durham, who has also campaigned for a ban on the import and export of hunting trophies, said: “It is appalling a British company is profiting from selling packages to shoot reindeer for ‘sport’ and trophies.

“To market these trips during the Christmas season is not only insensitive but deeply offensive to public sentiment.

“I am urging the government to honour its manifesto commitment to ban hunters from importing so-called ‘trophies’ of slaughtered animals.

“The motion has gathered significant cross-party support.”

Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Ban Trophy Hunting campaign, added: “We always knew that there wasn’t a low that trophy hunters wouldn’t stoop to, and now Santa’s reindeer are in the sights of their guns.

“These beautiful creatures epitomise the spirit of Christmas, but in the minds of these people they are nothing more than a head to put on the wall.

“We urge the Government to act swiftly to make life difficult for these sick people. There is no reason the Government can’t go ahead with the ban right now.

“Civil servants have already written the bill. It already passed as a private member’s bill. Nine out of 10 voters want it done. What better Christmas gift to wildlife than sparing them an agonising death at the hands of a grinning psychopath.”

Hendry, Ramsay & Waters did not respond to requests for comment.

But after we approached the firm, the website was taken down entirely – before being reinstated with all references to reindeer removed.