HUNT supporters in Dorset are living on borrowed time - and they have just six months to fight for their way of life and prevent it from becoming extinct.

The government pledged on March 21 to introduce a Hunting Bill and warned it would not stand in the way of introducing a Parliament Act to force it on to the statute book.

But a six-month consultation on the drafting of the Bill would now get under way in a bid to search for "common ground".

Both sides of the local hunting debate were already gearing up for a fight, optimistic that their beliefs would win the day.

New Forest Animal Protection Group spokesman Ken James said: "If there is going to be a Parliament Act to force a Bill through, and we know the House of Commons is overwhelmingly in favour of banning hunting, then I'm very optimistic that this announcement spells the end of hunting in the New Forest."

However, national anti-hunt lobbyists expressed disappointment that the government was delaying the issue for a further six months and not pressing ahead with an outright ban.

Countryside Agency spokesman for the South, Alison Hawes, said she was optimistic hunting would survive. "We are very pleased that they are at long last taking the Burns Report into consideration. There is nothing in the Burns Report which states that hunting is cruel," she said.

New Forest Hunt Master Nick Smith remained cautious but would wait with interest to see what form the consultation would take.

He was, however, very concerned about the threat to use the Parliament Act to overrule the House of Lords.

Hugo Busby of the North Dorset-based Portman Hunt said: "From a country sports lobby point of view at least this gives us six months - that's a long time to negotiate and promote a suitable outcome for ourselves.

"But I just find it grotesque that the House of Commons can spend five hours debating hunting and only half an hour to send 18,000 troops to Afghanistan."

Rural affairs minister Alun Michael told the Commons on Thursday that the Bill would deal with the issue once and for all.