'We will be here again'

But the hunters, and thousands of their supporters, were not put off by the protesters.

The riders of the Avon Vale Foxhunt have been meeting in the National Trust village of Lacock since the Second World War and this year it is estimated around 4,000 supporters their biggest crowd yet turned out to wave them off.

Several hundred supporters turned out for the smaller Tedworth Boxing Day Hunt, which sets off from outside the Bouverie Hall in the centre of Pewsey.

Support remains strong for the hunts in 2003, despite the fact the House of Commons voted by an overwhelming majority of 172, in July, for an outright ban on hunting wild animals with dogs.

The ninth time since 1995 that the issue of hunting with dogs has been voted upon in Parliament, it was however defeated by the House of Lords.

Despite the threat of a new bill, expected to come before Parliament in the New Year, Jonathan Seed, master and huntsman with the Avon Vale Hunt, said he and his fellow huntsmen remain confident that they will continue to hunt from Lacock, for many years to come.

"This year, we had the biggest crowd of supporters we believe we have ever seen, outnumbering protestors a hundred to one," he said.

"The mood amongst the hunt was very good, very upbeat and we remain confident about our future.

"We do not believe hunting with dogs will be banned and as I say every year, we will be here again next Boxing Day."

Members of the Wiltshire branch of the League Against Cruel Sports are determined this will be the last hunt they have to see take place at Lacock.

David Thompson, the League's spokesman, said: "We were encouraged by Tony Blair's comments after the Queen's Speech, in which he said that the hunting issue would be resolved in the New Year, but we just hope he keeps his word and bans hunting.

"There were around 70 of us at this year's hunt, from all across Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire, including protestors from Chippenham, Calne, Swindon and Bradford-on-Avon.

"We had banners and placards and there was a good cross-section of people, including children too.

"There was some barracking of the hunt they're used to seeing us by now but there was no trouble."

League protestor, Hazel Amore, 48, said she was proud to be among the protestors at the Boxing Day meet.

She said: "I have been against hunting for many years and was glad to attend this year's demonstration, but it's sad that we are still having to go and protest.

"When hunting was banned on council land, several years ago, we were encouraged that something was going to be done, but we are still waiting.

"We just want Tony Blair to stick by his promise and see it banned."

Mr Thompson said he and his fellow protestors would be working hard in the New Year to bring the issue of hunting before Parliament.

"We will be continuing to collect for the League's anti-hunt campaign and will be encouraging everyone we meet to write to Tony Blair to ensure that the Bill gets enough time in Parliament," he said.

"We are determined to see action and a total ban of hunting with dogs in 2004."

Last Friday was one of the biggest Boxing Day meets of the Tedworth Hunt for years and it attracted a larger than usual number of anti-hunt protestors.

To start with it looked as though there would be no anti-hunting protest but then about 15 placard-carrying objectors arrived. Only one protester attended the 2002 Boxing Day meet in Pewsey.

The protesters had gathered in Stratton Road behind the Bouverie Hall and included a number of members of the recently formed Pewsey Vale Branch of the League Against Cruel Sports.

Their protest was peaceful and there was some good-humoured banter between some of the huntsmen and women and the protestors.

The messages on their placards included: Go Drag Hunting Instead; Total Hunt Ban Now; Ban Hunting Now and Born To Be Free.

There were one or two pro-hunting demonstrators carrying placards saying polls showed a majority in favour of hunting.

In total there were about 40 mounted huntsmen, women and children with three carriages drawn by Shetland ponies lending their support.

About 200 hunt supporters gathered to watch the traditional Boxing Day assembly and to take advantage of the stirrup-cup and cake served by the huntsmen.

One middle aged supporter from Marlborough, a magistrate who did not want to be named, said: "I have been coming to this Boxing Day meet since I was a child and I hope to come to many more."

One woman rider said: "It's all about living in the country and enjoying countryside activities.

"They ought to keep politics out of sport and let this old tradition carry on."

Normally one of the joint hunt masters would deliver a New Year message to the crowd, but when hunt master Rodney Ellis began to wish everyone a Happy New Year his words were drowned out by protestors shouting "Ban Hunting Now".