Hunt members across the North will be out on Saturday - the day after the hunting ban is expected to come into force - in a mass show of defiance.

Every hunt in the region is due to meet in a show of solidarity against the ban.

Police in the region admitted last night the ban would be "difficult" to enforce as hunts said they would be staying within the law - but accidents were always possible with hounds.

A decision on the Countryside Alliance's challenge to the Hunting Act will be made by the Appeal Court before Thursday, but that is expected to fail - with the bill becoming law on Friday.

Yesterday, Countryside Alliance regional director Richard Dodd said: "Saturday is all about a show of strength and solidarity. We are sending a message to the Government that we are still here and we're not going away. We are intending to go out and hunt within the law, but what that means, no one seems to know. So, we are hunting confused."

Michael Jeans, hunt master at Morpeth, said: "We'll be carrying on hunting, but operating within the law. We'll probably go down the route of drawing with two hounds and flushing a fox to a gun.

"We may also do some hound exercise, but that won't be straight away. But, I can foresee problems. These hounds have been trained for generations to hunt and kill foxes. We're not going out with the intention of accidents happening, but I can see that they will."

He said he expected a big turnout on Saturday.

John Carr-Ellison, joint master of the West Percy Hunt, in north Northumberland, said: "We're holding a meet and a rally on Saturday to show our defiance of what has happened. We will end the season then and will be considering exactly how we handle things over the summer for next season. We will be trying to stick to the letter of the law."

Yesterday, police forces in the region said it would be hard to enforce that law. George Oliver, spokesman for Durham Police, said: "Policing the ban will be difficult and any work to do that has to be set against the force's other priorities." A spokesman for Cumbria Police said the force would be trusting hunts in the county not to break the law. "We've had a series of consultative meetings with all the hunts in Cumbria and, as a result, they have agreed not to participate in any illegal hunting activity," he said.

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said officers would be sticking to guidelines from the Association of Chief Police Officers which say police priorities when trying to enforce the ban should be to prevent injuries and disorder.

Cleveland stokesley farmers beagles 12:00 Jolly Sailor Pub on the A171, 6 miles from Guisborough on the Whitby Moor Road, Cleveland

NORTHUMBERLAND BORDER 9:45 The Bird in Bush, Elsdon, Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND COLLEGE VALLEY/NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND 10:45 The Cuddystone, College Valley, North West of Wooler off the B6351, Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND HAYDON 10:45 Newbrough, Hexham, Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND MORPETH 10:45 Meldon Park, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 3SW

NORTHUMBERLAND NEWCASTLE AND DISTRICT BEAGLES 12:30 Percy Arms, Birtley, Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND PERCY 11:00 Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND PERCY, WEST 11:00 Boulby's Wood, Ingram, Nr Alnwick, Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND TYNE, NORTH 9:30 Barrasford Arms, Barrasford Village, Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND TYNEDALE 11:00 The Black Bull, Matfen, Northumberland

CUMBRIA BEWCASTLE 9:30 Murrayholm, Roadhead, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA8 2JJ

CUMBRIA BLACK COMBE & DISTRICT BEAGLES 10:00 Brown Cow Inn, Waberthwaite on A595, Cumbria

CUMBRIA BLENCATHRA 9:30 The Riddings, Threlkeld, Cumbria

CUMBRIA CUMBERLAND 10:30 Clearview, Westward, Wigton, Cumbria

CUMBRIA CUMBERLAND FARMERS 1pm Welton, Cumbria

CUMBRIA LONSDALE, NORTH 10:00 Cartmel Racecourse

CUMBRIA LUNESDALE 9:30 Street House, Ravenstonedale

CUMBRIA MELBREAK 9:00 Gatesgarth, Buttermere

Page 2: Protesters clash with spectators at hare coursing