Keeper of the flame

Talking to Alex Keeble you get the sense that the future of the countryside is in good hands. For starters, he has accumulated a wealth of experience at a relatively young age and betrays a stolid wisdom.

I spoke to Alex on the day a survey instigated by BASC was published, which highlighted the increasing difficulties gamekeepers face going about their job and the harassment and abuse they suffer. He mentioned that he had given feedback to the survey and was unsurprised by its findings, though phlegmatic about them.

George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, said in response to the survey that: “Gamekeepers do vital work as custodians of the land. They play an important role in the shooting industry, which delivers significant benefits to rural economies.”

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