The fight to preserve hunting foxes with dogs in South Lakeland and Cumbria has begun with supporters petitioning the Government about the issue from the steps of Defra in Carlisle, reports Ellis Butcher.

Members of the county's Countryside Alliance along with pro-hunt supporters gathered with placards and foxhounds outside the Rosehill office to hand over a letter to the chief veterinary officer for Cumbria, Andrew Heywood.

The two-page document, to be considered as part of a six-month consultation period on the future of hunting, was signed by those present and will be passed to Rural Affairs minister Alun Michael.

It included a warning that the countryside would not accept a ban "lying down" and that they felt the Government seemed willing to "cave in" to its backbench MPs over the issue.

Packs representing hunts in Lunesdale, Blencathra, Mellbreak, Bewcastle and Ullswater were among those to attend the cordial hand-over.

Among them was Eddie Braithwaite, of the Lunesdale Foxhounds, a former chairman and now director of the 500-member pack.

The hunt's centre is in Sedbergh and takes in Settle to the east, Lancaster in the south, and Arnside and Kendal to the west.

Placard in hand, Mr Braithwaite said: "It is important that each pack was represented here.

Hunting is our life.

I have hunted all my life and hunted for 45 years with Lunesdale Foxhounds."

There is widespread disbelief among the fox hunting community at what it regards as an unwillingness by the Government to accept the findings of the Burns Inquiry, which it commissioned.

The letter to Mr Michael stated the inquiry had " clearly established the legitimacy of hunting on animal welfare grounds alone."

It went on: "Moreover, the Burns report has also confirmed there are many benefits from hunting in addition to pest control.

"Therefore, we urge you firstly to base any consultation process and any resulting legislation not on the principles of cruelty and utility, but instead on animal welfare and value, both of which principles properly accord with the Burns report."

Mr Braithwaite said: "We were very disappointed with the Government's attitude towards the Burns Inquiry.

It came out very favourably for hunting to continue but this seems to have been ignored by the Government."

Asked whether he believed Mr Michael would consider their representations, Mr Braithwaite said: "He has said he is prepared to listen to all sides at this stage before he actually makes a final recom-mendation.

Whether we believe him or not is a different matter."

Mick Casey, Countryside Alliance spokesman for the North West, stressed that the lobby was not a protest against Defra, or the recipient of the letter, Dr Heywood, who was thanked for his help after foot-and-mouth.

Mr Casey said a copy of the letter was handed personally to Mr Michael at a meeting attended by packs in Northumberland.