Plea to reject hunt ban and find 'sensible solution'

A last-ditch plea has been made to the House of Lords by peers and countryside leaders.

They want them to back the licensing of fox-hunting, instead of an outright ban.

The call comes as Parliament's upper chamber prepares for the October 12 second reading of the Animal Welfare Bill.

The Lords have long been a bastion of the pro-hunt lobby, confounding Government attempts to outlaw it.

Tony Blair is believed to back a tight licensing scheme for hunts, but there is the threat of the obscure Parliament Act being invoked to steamroller further opposition from the Lords should they reject the legislation.

Last night there was a fresh call for compromise by the Countryside Alliance in the North-East.

Belsay farmer and Alliance regional chairman Richard Dodd said: "Common sense has to prevail. What we have seen so far is a very cynical Government and fox-hunting seems to be just the first in a line of fences that they want to jump over without any real understanding or justification. Thankfully, we have the Lords, and I hope they can inject some common sense into the Commons. A ban will not save any more foxes, because they will still be controlled by landowners. We say hunting is a very effective method of control."

Top Conservative peer Lord Strathclyde urged the Mr Blair to reach a sensible compromise.

He said: "I hope that the House of Lords does not reject the Bill, but amends it to a sensible evidence-based compromise Bill, which should suit the interests of most people in the countryside.

"My advice to the House of Lords is that rather than rejection, we should come out with something sensible."