A hunt supporter is denying claims by opponents of the blood sport that hunts in Lincolnshire are breaking the law.

The new legislation, which came into force in February, made hunting with hounds illegal.
But saboteurs claim hunts have been using more than two hounds to flush out a fox - a breach of the new rules.

But members of the Cottesmore hunt said they had seen no illegal hunting and no one had come forward with any hard evidence of such behaviour.

Foxes can be killed by a bird of prey or shot - if only two dogs are involved.

Phillipa Mayo from the Campaign for Hunting, who rides with the Cottesmore Hunt, said: "The Crown Prosecution Service has not had any evidence presented to them to bring any action.

"We are almost halfway through the season and around 250 hunts have been out two or three times a week.

"If they haven't got any evidence of illegal hunting now I thinks it's very rare or non-existent."