THOUSANDS of people from across Wiltshire travelled to London at the weekend to protest about the state of the countryside.

In a demonstration of solidarity, more than 400,000 people nationwide descended upon the capital on Sunday for the Countryside Alliance's Liberty and Livelihood march.

It was the largest ever civil liberties demonstration in London and the anger of the marchers was mainly targeted at the Labour Government and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

People travelled on 2,500 coaches and 31 specially chartered trains.

By mid-morning, police reported the M4 was blocked for over five miles by hundreds of coaches from the rural heartlands of the west and south west. Members of the anti-hunt fraternity held their own peaceful demonstration in Parliament Square.

Sarah Helliar, 27 of Friggle Street, near Warminster, travelled to London with 105 countryside enthusiasts from the surrounding area.

She said: "There was a brilliant atmosphere and it was extremely well organised. I'm a country girl and a farmer's daughter, so I was there for all sorts of reasons.

"I was protesting against the poor price farmers are getting for milk and the number of rural schools which are closing."

Protestors insisted if the Government continued to ignore the plight of the countryside they would be forced to take more militant action.

As well as the hunting ban, the march, which cost £1m to organise, also aimed to increase awareness of other rural issues, such as poor services and the knock-on effects of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Organisers presented Mr Blair with a list of 10 demands covering hunting, farming and the provision of local services.

Marchers started from two separate points, at Hyde Park and Blackfriars Embankment.

The two routes eventually converged, arriving together to walk in silence down Whitehall, past Downing Street and the Cenotaph.

Ken Frewer, of Upton Scudamore, near Warminster, was among the protestors. He said: "It was more of a shuffle than a march as there was so many people. I now think the Government has no choice but to stand up and listen."