THIS month saw the start of the 2005/06 hunting season. Thousands of people were out supporting their local hunts in the North of England.

Hunts have pledged to go out and hunt within the law this season, to retain infrastructure of hunts and hunting, and to show the Hunting Act will not stand the test of time.

Where possible, they are also continuing to provide an invaluable pest control service to the farming community.

The Hunting Act benefits no-one, indeed it has adverse consequences for animal welfare and is an unjustified attack on a way of life, but to many it looks, smells and sounds like hunting before February 18, 2005.

Animal rights extremists have stated their intention of continuing to 'sabotage' hunts. They will continue to show no respect for the law themselves, trespassing and harassing those who are going about their legal businesses and aggressively filming law-abiding families and their children.

In their desperation to secure a prosecution under the Hunting Act 2004, anti-hunt vigilantes are wasting valuable and already overstretched police resources by making unfounded allegations.

Anti-hunting organisations and hunt saboteurs should stop their malicious, prejudiced attacks on the rural community, understand that hunts intend to act within the law until this ridiculous and badly-drafted legislation is overturned, and stop causing unnecessary trouble in rural areas.

RICHARD DODD, North of England Regional Director, Countryside Alliance.