The areas around Epping Forest where hunters are free to kill deer have been revealed by the City of London Corporation (CoL).

Many members of the public reacted angrily after it was revealed on the Epping Forest Forum that the corporation gave a contract to the Capreolus hunting club to shoot Fallow and Muntjac deer in 15 areas.

Yesterday (November 29), club vice-chairman James Mott refused to identify the areas, but the CoL has said hunting is allowed in the forest’s “buffer land”.

Consisting of woodland and farmland, the 1,700 acres are largely publicly accessible and include areas such as the Copped Hall estate near Epping and land near Theydon Bois.

Galley Hill in Waltham Abbey, the Woodredon Estate near High Beach and Swaines Green in Epping are also included in the buffer zones, which the corporation calls “a valuable source of income supporting the management of the forest”.

New Capreolus members, who pay £800 a year as well as a £300 starter fee, are given guns and can hunt alone if they are judged to be “competent”.

The CoL’s decision to allow hunting was slammed as “appalling” by many members of the public, with fears about public safety and questions over a lack of consultation.

A corporation spokeswoman confirmed the deer are not being culled, and said the shooting licence only covers the buffer zones.

She added: “This is necessary to maintain deer populations on the buffer land at sustainable levels.

“This reduces browsing damage to crops, young trees and wildlife habitat and minimises the number of deer-vehicle collisions on the public highway.

“This takes place across strictly controlled areas of the buffer land at very specific periods prescribed by law.

“Following a public tender the contract for this work on the buffer land was won by the London-based Capreolus Club.

“The club already manages deer populations on a number of country estates and its members are properly assessed and trained before they can operate on the buffer land.”