close down

In July 2023, the Captain Tom Foundation announced it was not actively seeking donations or making payments, but the foundation has not been closed down.

But now Mr John worries that if the UK government bans trail hunting, he may also be forced to close down his Three Counties Bloodhound group.

He also stressed that “a decision to close down the office permanently is a decision that you will hear about from us directly and shouldn’t be part of media speculation”.

"The question really is - what do the holiday homes lead to? And if they lead to more empty villages, our schools closing down, then it's not worth it."

But many mines have closed down in recent years and miners have been laid off, contributing to a black market that costs the South African government hundreds of millions of dollars each year.