FARMERS and country sports enthusiasts will be taking part in the mass exodus of people from Dorset on Sunday for the Liberty and Livelihood March in London.

Foremost among those going will be the nine coaches organised by the Cattistock Hunt which will be leaving from Melbury, Dorchester and Abbotsbury to take campaigners up to swell the numbers.

Tessa Jackson, joint master of the hunt said: "Obviously there will be Cattistock supporters but there'll also be shooting people, keepers, beaglers, anybody who wants to go, anyone who believes in freedom of choice. We are hoping for a good turnout."

Tessa's daughter, Millie, who hit the tabloids at the last countryside march for her Lady Godiva stunt, has been approached by the national newspapers this time but mum says she'll be keeping well wrapped up. "She won't even put on a skimpy T-shirt showing her tummy. She said she'd do it once and she did, she achieved her objective."

Tim Frost, NFU county chairman from Childhay near Beaminster, said the NFU was going to be very much in evidence at the march trying to get their message across that the threat to hunting wasn't the only problem in the countryside.

He said: "We want to make sure that people are aware of all the problems in the countryside. We have been trying to make everyone aware of the various issues, like the small amount paid to the farmers compared to the final price for the customers.

"You don't have to look very far to see who's making the money. You've only to look at the company profits of Sainsburys and Tesco, which are almost billions and look to see the profits of the farming community which is almost zilch.

"Tony Blair said the supermarkets had farmers in an armlock and he couldn't have been nearer the truth but unfortunately they have done nothing about it."

Mr Frost said the NFU nationally had been talking to major retailers who were putting the price of milk up and requesting that the price rise directly benefit producers.

Mr Frost said the processors didn't look like they were passing the rise onto farmers and this was likely to result in serious protests and demonstrations possibly affected 150 processors locally by farmers who felt they had nothing left to lose.

"It seems incredibly unfair. The processing companies are making money, Dairy Crest shares are doing very well. From my own point of view I've always thought it was wrong to upset your customers but I really can understand where farmers are coming from, they are desperate now and feel they are going to go bust. These people are supposed to be looking after us. I cannot see the logic with some of these people, how can they run a business and push people who are supplying them underground?"

Mr Frost employs 11 people on his farm, five of whom will be going to the march while the others get on with running the farm.

"The NFU is going to be represented in a big way. Some of them will be carrying placards but they will be there on several counts," he said.