A YEAR ago it was feared that centuries of tradition were coming to an end, when the Government's controversial Hunting Act came into force.

But defiant hunts have continued to ride out in force in the months after the ban was imposed, saying they would continue to pursue the sport within the law.

There were also fears the ban could damage the rural economy, with country sports specialists put out of business and support dropping away.

But a year on and hunts across the county say the pastime is still going strong.

Sarah Morley, secretary of the Derwent Hunt, which rides out between Pickering and Scarborough, said a few more elderly hounds than usual had been destroyed since the implementation of the ban. But although members of the hunt were "absolutely gutted" when the law was changed, it had not lost any of its support.

"It's not quite the same, hunting a trail, but we are making the most of it," she said.

"The support for the hunt is as good as it was. We'll see what happens down the line, maybe five years on.

"I still think it will be overturned.

"People are very positive and they want to keep everything together."

Peter Hutchinson runs a tailoring business in Westow, near Malton, which makes specialist hunting coats and breeches.

He feared the ban would have a massive impact on his trade - but a year later said the opposite had happened.

"We've never been as busy with hunting clothes," he said.

"It's just the opposite to what I anticipated. I think people who have retired from hunting have come back into it."

Since the ban came into force, the York and Ainsty North hunt has been laying a drag scent and following that.

Hunt secretary Owain Pugh said: "Basically, there has been a year of very little change. We were uncertain as to what the future was going to be. We didn't reduce any of the mature hounds, but we do have fewer litters of puppies to manage the size of our pack. Other than that, we still have the same establishment as we did before.

"It is now widely recognised throughout the country that this was a thoroughly bad bill."

Updated: 10:18 Friday, February 17, 2006