Tony Blair will face a winter of discontent and civil disobedience if he attempts to rush anti-foxhunting legislation through Parliament, hunt leaders in Northumberland warned last night.

The threat of a total ban on the country sport was greeted with defiance by members of some of Northumberland's most well-established hunts, who said they would be ready to take to the streets once again if necessary.

It is thought that the Prime Minister could ask Commons Speaker Michael Martin to invoke the seldom-used Parliament Act, which would effectively stifle opposition to an anti-hunt Bill in the Lords - and also distance Mr Blair from the move.

It would be only the fourth time the Act has been used in 50 years.

Downing Street refused to comment on the claims. The Prime Minister's official spokesman last week said the Government's position had not changed on the issue.

But huntsmen in the region have warned against any such move.

"I would hope Tony Blair will have the sense to keep this off the forthcoming political agenda," said Michael Jeans, secretary of the Morpeth Hunt.

"If he doesn't, it will mean more unrest in the countryside and severe disruption from civil disobedience.

"He knows what happened last time this became an issue, and there are an awful lot of people who are still angry about this threat to liberty and livelihood.

"If he thinks people will take this lying down, he's deluding himself. They won't stand for it."

And he added: "Using the Parliament Act will be a sledgehammer. The Government would be taking away the checks and balances, and it would be a very bad way for such legislation to be enacted.

"To most people out there, there are far more pressing issues to be tackled, such as employment and taxation, rather than foxhunting."

Frank Houghton-Brown, Master of the Tynedale Hunt, said: "If Mr Blair goes ahead with this plan, it will be going against public opinion.

"It worries me, and it worries the people who need country sports to earn a living."

A spokesman for Defra said the threat of further demonstrations was always expected with such an emotive issue as hunting.

"It is part of the Government's manifesto to enable Parliament to press ahead with this legislation within this session. Whether than happens in coming weeks, and whether the Parliament Act will be invoked, remains to be seen."

The Prime Minister was rocked by a massive cavalcade on his own doorstep last November, when 2,000 hunt supporters turned out to protest in his Trimdon constituency.

The mass rally - organised by the Countryside Alliance - was one of 12 events to be staged simultaneously across Britain by pro-hunt activists.

Nationally, the day saw 36,000 people sign up to a declaration in defiance of any future ban.

Factions line up in countryside battle

Anti-hunt MPs say they have been given "very clear assurances" from ministers that a Bill to outlaw foxhunting would be put to parliament in the next two weeks.

The League Against Cruel Sports said yesterday it had reason to be very confident the ban would be brought in.

The group's spokesman Mike Hobday said: "We are being told by MPs that they have received very clear assurances from ministers that the Government is going to announce this coming week that it will introduce a Bill the following week."

However, the Countryside Alliance said it did not believe a ban was imminent.

But spokesman Darren Hughes warned ministers: "Voters will see it as a cynical diversion from more important issues".

He added: "Fifty thousand people have signed a petition saying they would be prepared to break the law if a ban was introduced and they would be prepared to face the consequences.

"And it was not long ago that 400,000 people marched through the streets of London against a ban.

"I don't think the Government can afford to ignore that number of people."