A CAMPAIGN of mass civil disobedience against the ban on hunting with dogs has been agreed on by North Yorkshire hunt supporters.

Representatives of the 29 hunts in Yorkshire, and the county's three coursing clubs, packed into The Golden Fleece hotel, in Thirsk, yesterday to form a plan of action.

The private meeting was chaired by Major Tim Easby, the regional committee chairman of Masters of Foxhounds Association.

John Haigh, regional director of the Countryside Alliance, said that the gathering was very positive. Mr Haigh said: "There was great determination. People were totally determined under any circumstances to continue the fight against this useless, unjust and unenforceable law.

"We know that the general public don't support it, the media don't support it and the rural communities it will be inflicted upon won't wear it. We will fight this bigotry in the courts, fight it at the ballot box and we will make sure that this law will not stand the test of time."

Mr Haigh said that the Government had made assurances that any decision to ban hunting would be based on evidence and principle, but it had ignored the findings of its own Burns Inquiry.

Updated: 11:00 Monday, November 29, 2004