MORE than three-quarters of Blackburn constituents want their MP, Home Secretary Jack Straw, to back a ban on fox hunting with dogs.

A total of 77 per cent of people questioned for the MORI survey said Mr Straw should support Michael Foster's Bill to ban hunting with dogs. That figure rose to 84 per cent among Labour supporters.

Eleven per cent of those asked and eight per cent of Labour voters said they thought Mr Straw should oppose the Bill.

Two thirds (66 per cent) and 73 per cent of Labour supporters said they would support a ban themselves.

A total of 22 per cent - 18 per cent of Labour supporters - said they would oppose a ban.

The survey was one of five carried out across the country, with 500 people interviewed for each one.

Five constituencies were targeted - those of Tony Blair, William Hague, Paddy Ashdown, Secretary of State for Agriculture Jack Cunningham and Mr Straw. Most people said they would be in favour of a ban and thought their local MPs should support it.

Kate Parminter, spokeswoman for the Campaign for the Protection of Hunted Animals, said: "These polls show that support for the Bill is consistent across the country, in both rural and urban areas, and in constituencies represented by all the main parties.

"Support for the Bill is also represented by the weight of the MPs' postbags, which are running 10 to one in favour of Michael Foster's Bill."

More than 2,500 people in the Blackburn area have signed a petition urging Jack Straw to vote in favour of the Bill.

The petition, organised by the Central Lancashire Animal Welfare Society, has been sent to Mr Straw at Westminster.

CLAWS spokesman Ian Richards said: "We are very grateful to the people of Blackburn for their support. We hope that Jack Straw will now use his vote and help bring an end to hunting with hounds."

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