Queen star launches anti-hunt drive (From Dorset Echo)

Queen star launches anti-hunt drive

5:38pm Tuesday 13th April 2010 in Elections © Press Association 2011

Queen star Brian May has launched an effort to stop the return of hunting by financing his own poster campaign.

The guitarist is urging voters to find out how their candidates stand if MPs have a free vote on the matter after the General Election.

Chart-topping May unveiled a giant poster in west London to raise awareness of his Save-Me campaign, named after one of his band's hits.

The Tories have pledged to introduce a free vote on overturning the hunting ban, which was introduced by the Hunting Act in 2004. This made it illegal to hunt wild animals using dogs.

He said: "For me it's a very important issue. I think most of the issues we talk about are purely selfish - the money in our pocket and whatever. I've always felt for a very long time that our relationship with animals is seriously not right, so this is an attempt to put things back.

"We have a law in place to protect foxes, to make fox hunting illegal - also hare coursing and stag hunting. We need to keep that law in place."

He said the campaign was not party political but was a response to the prospect of a free vote.

May is asking members of the public to support animal welfare by signing up at www.save-me.org.uk and hopes to recruit a million supporters by polling day.

He added: "We will support any candidate from any party who commits to keeping the law against hunting in place."