SELBY MP John Grogan says he will not be hounded into changing his agenda on fox hunting - despite a protest of about 150 hunt supporters outside his office.

Protesters greeted Mr Grogan at his Saturday morning surgery in Tadcaster.

Hunstmen Alan Simms and Richard Emmott attended an appointment with Mr Grogan inside, while hunt supporters young and old, with horses and hounds, waved banners and blew horns outside, shouting for Mr Grogan to address them.

Fresh from a morning hunt with the Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt at Bilbrough, kennel huntsman Gary Thorpe said he felt as though Mr Grogan was not representing his interests.

He said "Mr Grogan represents an area where hunting is very well supported by a lot of people and instead of expressing his own personal views, he should be expressing the views of the majority in the area. Landowners have a right to pest control. If they were stopped, where is the democracy?"

Mr Thorpe, who looks after 90 hounds, said he would fight the ban all the way.

"If they bring this law in they take away my job, they take away my livelihood, I might as well be in prison, I would have nothing to live for."

Landowner Tony Barker had allowed the hunt access to his land. He said his rights would be breached if he were no longer allowed to do that.

"They donate so much to the countryside," he said. "They provide a wonderful service to landowners."

Mr Emmott, 38, hunt master for York and Ainsty South, accused Mr Grogan of "pure prejudice".

"He's not concerned about what would happen to us or the hounds, not concerned at all. His decision is based upon pure class prejudice."

Mr Grogan, who remained in his office throughout the demonstration, said he was always happy to meet and discuss fox hunting.

"I've always seen this as an issue not of town versus country but passion that runs high on both sides.

"I see it as cruel and I think the majority of people have a similar view of foxhunting with dogs and I think it's right that it should be banned in July 2006."

Also represented at the demonstration on Saturday were supporters of the Claro Beagles and the Northern Counties Hunt.

Updated: 10:17 Monday, October 04, 2004