THIS time last year it was thought that fox hunting could soon be a thing of the past and the 2002 Boxing Day meet would be the last of its type.

But come this Boxing Day the men in red were still there for the traditional tipple before setting off down the High Streets of Lacock and Pewsey.

The only difference this year was that the pro hunters complete with banners were just as much in evidence as the anti-hunt brigade.

They have obviously decided that attack is the best form of defence and the pro hunt lobby has been doing its bit to persuade people that chasing and killing foxes is an okay thing to do.

It has to be said that the spectacle of the hunt gathering on a crisp Boxing Day morning in a picturesque Wiltshire village is a sight to behold and it would be sad to lose it.

But of course it would still be possible to have the magnificent horses, the riders in red, the beautiful hounds and all the rest of the trappings without the foxes being caught.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Parliament this year to ban the hunters but the chances are that the foxes will be still being chased this time next year.

A lot of rural jobs depend on the hunt.

Far too many farm workers have already been left having to leave the land and go in to call centres or factories and a county like Wiltshire needs its rural industries as much as it needs the huge employers such as Dyson and Virgin. Lets hope a compromise can be reached.