The defiant ones (From Gazette & Herald)

The defiant ones

MORE than 2,000 supporters of hunting with dogs met in Ryedale to declare their intention to take part in a mass civil disobedience - to face jail by continuing the pursuit if it is banned.

Members of each of Yorkshire's 29 hunts joined with people who hunt quarry with beagles, lurchers, and other hounds on Declaration Day at Birdsall, near Malton.

The event was one of a dozen organised by the Countryside Alliance taking place throughout England and Wales on the first day of the hunting season, attracting 37,000 people nationally. While a plane with a pro-hunting message flew overhead, supporters joined a long queue to sign a declaration of their intention to disobey any hunting ban that is made law. In total about 4,000 people attended the event, of which 2,340 signed.

Cheers and applause from wellington-booted and wax-jacketed hunting supporters filled the fields as members of the Countryside Alliance gave rousing speeches standing on bails of straw.

"It was a huge success," said John Haigh, regional director of the Countryside Alliance. "It was beyond our expectation. I think people realised the seriousness of the declaration - it was not a petition. People who signed it were doing it with the sentiment that the House of Commons back benchers had forced them into it."

Those who defy the ban risk a £5,000 fine. If they refuse to pay they could face a six-month prison sentence. A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports said: "If you break the law you will face the consequences".

After lengthy debate in the House of Lords, the Hunting Bill fell on Tuesday when Lord Whitty confirmed to peers that they had run out of time to consider further amendments.

However, Tony Banks MP tabled an Early Day Motion urging the Government to fulfil its manifesto promise to resolve the hunting issue by reintroducing the Bill in the next session. The Parliament Act would then apply and an outright ban on hunting with dogs would become law.

Updated: 16:00 Monday, November 03, 2003