DETERMINED hunt supporters in South Lakeland have vowed to continue their fight to ensure the centuries-old sport is not outlawed, reports Victoria Clark.

A huge majority of MPs voted in the Commons on Wednesday for an outright ban on hunting with dogs in England and Wales, rejecting the bill's other two options of self-regulation or licensing of hunts.

"In some ways it is a relief now they have drawn the battle lines and we now we know what we are up against," said Kate Nicholson, of the Coniston Foxhounds.

But the anti-hunts lobby has also pledged to maintain pressure on the Government as the Bill progresses through Parliament.

"Hunting is an obscenity which should have been banned years ago," said Chris Aldous, a member of the League Against Cruel Sports.

Mr Aldous added that although he was pleased with the Commons vote, it was only the first step in what could be a long process of getting a ban in place.

"It could still take a year, and thousands of deer, hare as well as foxes, are going to be killed before the bill goes through," he said.

"Saddened but not surprised," was the verdict of David Stocker, Countryside Alliance spokesperson for the North West, who said that although the 213-vote majority was predictable, he was pleased to see more MPs than expected vote for the middle-way proposal.

But Mr Stocker added that the fight was far from over.

"The harder they come for us, the more determined we are to resist and do whatever it takes to stop this bill going through," he said.

Mrs Nicholson, whose husband Michael is the Coniston huntsman, said: "It's another kick in the teeth for rural people and the rural way of life, but we will go on fighting - we will fight to the end."

She said she was disappointed that from the debate in the Commons, it was clear that MPs had taken little notice of the findings of the £600,000 Burns Inquiry - an independent committee set up to investigate the consequences of a ban.

"It's not just about the jobs would be lost and the hounds that would have to be put down, but the countryside as a whole and the wildlife in it which would suffer," Mrs Nicholson said.

The bill is now due to be considered in the House of Lords, where it is anticipated that the Tory peers will oppose it, which will possibly delay it until after the general election.

In the meantime, hunt followers are rallying support for the CA's Liberty and Livelihood demonstration on March 18 when hundreds of thousands of countryside campaigners are expected to take to the streets of London.

Coniston Foxhounds has booked seven coaches to take supporters to the event, and is hoping to take ten.

The CA is confident that the number of protesters will exceed 300,000.

For more information about the march log onto www.march-info.org