Covert attempts by police chiefs to infiltrate fox-hunting circles, allegedly offering cash for supporters to turn informant, were last night condemned by country sports leaders in the North-East.
Special Branch officers have recently approached at least a dozen leading members of the Countryside Alliance to ask for their help in rooting out illegal activities when the ban comes into force next February.
Northumberland regional director Richard Dodd, yesterday confirmed that a meeting had taken place between himself, senior police figures, including Special Branch, and local hunt activists. He claimed he was told that hunt supporters in the region had been offered payment for information about illicit hunts.
"We had a meeting with a North police force, including its Chief Constable, and it was mentioned that money had been offered for information," said Mr Dodd, who farms at Belsay in Northumberland. While he declined to comment on which force had approached him, he said that the pro-hunting lobby was appalled at the idea of secretly monitoring the situation for the Government responsible for the ban itself.
He added: "They said it was a `matter of routine', and they made no denial that payment had been offered. We accept that people help the police with their inquiries, but when this was suggested it was quite unbelievable.
"To be asked to become an informer in hunting is quite surprising, because the paymaster is ultimately the Government and Tony Blair."
Mr Dodd was speaking after Coquetdale and Border Coursing Club chairman Peter Lister told reporters at the weekend of his own encounter with Special Branch, who asked him to act as an agent for them within hunting circles.
Mr Lister, who was approached just after the notorious Parliament Square rally in September, declined the offer, saying he would be among the first to be "arrested and jailed if necessary for breaking the hunting ban come February".
Police authorities are growing increasingly concerned about apparent loopholes in the forthcoming Act, which critics say will be virtually impossible to enforce. On Thursday a huntsman from the Borders was cleared of breaking the ban already in place in Scotland, because he had been using dogs to flush out foxes towards a gun party - a practice which is still allowed and will also be permitted under English law.
Michael Jeans, joint master of the Morpeth Hunt, said the reports of cash offers for information showed how desperate the authorities were becoming. He said: "The fact that Special Branch is involved shows they are panicking, and that panic comes from the very highest levels of power.
"It's quite ridiculous to expect people who are involved in hunting to sign up to this kind of thing."
A spokeswoman for the Home Office last night declined to comment on what she called "matters of security" regarding Special Branch.
