THOUSANDS of people gathered in Dorset for what could be the last traditional Boxing Day hunt meetings in their present form.

Defiant riders, foot-followers and supporters rallied in West Dorset before the annual Cattistock and South Dorset hunts began.

Charlotte Townsend, a joint master of the Cattistock Hunt, said: "It was a great success.

"There were a lot of foot followers and a lot of horsemen. The atmosphere was absolutely wonderful and everybody was thrilled with how well it went."

She added: "It was very encouraging to have so many people along and for the hunt to go so well."

The Cattistock Hunt met at Nettlecombe, near Bridport, and the South Dorset Hunt met at the Manor House in Piddletrenthide near Dorchester. Traditional Boxing Day hunts also met in East Dorset and at Blandford where the South Dorset Anti-Bloodsports group was due to protest.

The meets came after a new hunting bill was launched by the Govern-ment earlier this month which could change the face of hunting with hounds forever.

The Bill would ban hare coursing and stag hunting, but allow fox hunting if individual hunts can justify it and satisfy a cruelty test.

But hunt supporters fear MPs may amend the Bill to pass an outright ban on fox hunting.

More than 100 hunt supporters from Dorset were caught in stormy scenes outside the Houses of Parliament earlier this month in a protest against the Bill.

Some hit out at police handling of the demonstration when marchers were stopped at Hyde Park instead of being allowed to reach Westminster for the Countryside Alliance protest.

Activists scuffled with police as trouble flared later in the evening, but the Countryside Alliance distanced itself from these splinter groups.

Anti-hunting campaigners claimed hunts supporters showed their true colours during the scenes and called for a full ban on hunting altogether.

The hunting Bill faces a stormy passage through Parliament. The Bill was passed by a House of Commons vote of 368 to 155 earlier this month, but will meet stiffer opposition when it reaches the Lords in the new year.