AS the House of Lords was due to vote today on the Hunting Bill, Looking Back finds that opposition to the controversial pastime was truly stirred up in East Lancashire 101 years ago this month -- when a stag hunt climaxed in the middle of Blackburn.

True, the indignation was merely expressed by the sardonic inverted commas employed in the comments of the compiler of the old Northern Daily Telegraph's Table Talk column when he reported on the event.

But if, as it tenuously remains at present, hunting with dogs was allowed by the law of the land back in 1900, the NDT certainly suggested what went on that Saturday in March that year in the heart of the region's major industrial town that day was in contravention of civilised standards -- and, arguably, of the town's bye-laws too.

For it said: "The privileges of the hunt have seldom, if ever, been exercised to the extent of the invasion of Blackburn Corporation Park, such as occurred on Saturday when hounds and horse and some hundreds of spectators afoot overran the place and played havoc with the flower beds and grass borders.

"The Pendle Forest Harriers ran a stag from Copster Green into the big lake in the park where it was finally captured and taken away to provide 'sport' for another day."

But having snorted at this behaviour, the NDT then wondered whether it was a case of one park bye-law for one lot and a different one for another. For, despite the esteem the military was then enjoying as many of Lancashire's part-time soldiers left to take part in the still-raging Boer War in South Africa, the regulations were nonetheless reprovingly read to the old-time territorial soldiers from the town's Volunteer Artillery barracks when they trooped into Corporation Park to the beat of martial music...as Table Talk pointed out. "We are not aware whether recompense will be made for damage caused by this 'finish' to the merry chase, but, in any case, the reception accorded the sportsmen and women suggests comparison with the very different action of the authorities when the Volunteer Artillery dared to march through the park some time ago with drums beating and bugles blowing," it said.

"'Bye-laws' were quoted to the confusion of the gallant volunteers, but on Saturday the trespassers actually borrowed a Corporation boat in order to secure their quarry.

"We do not desire to anticipate the question which some member will ask at the next Town Council.

"But there is here some apparent inconsistency in the application of the bye-laws which requires explanation."

The next meeting of the council was duly reported on by the NDT, but it seems that the explanation it wanted was not called for.