Conflict between fox-hunters and saboteurs looks set to continue even if the pursuit is outlawed by the Government.

North anti-bloodsports campaigners vowed last night to police the countryside themselves and saboteurs said they would continue to target hunts to make sure no foxes were being killed illegally, should a ban be brought into force.

And even a compromise deal to license hunts - as suggested by the House Of Lords yesterday - would see the meets drawing "serious attention" from the saboteurs.

The stance could effectively dash Prime Minister Tony Blair's hopes of a peaceful compromise to the issue.

Hunt Saboteurs Association spokesman Nathan Brown said: "We would rather not take the law into our own hands, so to speak, but if we feel a ban on fox-hunting is not being enforced strongly enough by the police, then we will have no other choice but to monitor hunts ourselves.

"It would be much on the same principle as Neighbourhood Watch schemes, which you could argue is also about people taking the law into their own hands.

"Even if hunting is banned, we will definitely channel time, money and effort into gathering evidence and securing the prosecution of those who choose to hunt illegally."

And one North-based saboteur, a former civil servant in his 50s who asked not to named, said last night: "There will still be a need for HSA members to go out as observers and check that the law is being observed.

"We will continue to go out as long as the hunters do." But Countryside Alliance chairman for Northumberland, Belsay farmer Richard Dodd, said huntsmen would simply take it in their stride, whatever happened.

He said: "Most of the hunt saboteurs in the region have moved on to other things.

"The hunts up here get very few visitors of this kind, but we'll deal with anything that emerges.

"What they will be hoping for is evidence to bring high-profile prosecutions.

"If they want to come up here and take video footage of fox control, that's fine."

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said: "When any proposed legislation becomes law, we will police it effectively, as we would with any other new law."

The Journal: Today's Voice of the North

Page 2: Lords vote offers some hope to hunt supporters