WORCESTERSHIRE'S newest MP admits he has been shocked by the reaction on watering down the fox hunting ban - revealing he's been bombarded 600 times about it.

The bewildering number of letters, emails and phone calls have been sent to Nigel Huddleston, who was elected for the first time in May to serve Mid-Worcestershire.

The correspondence far, far outstrips anything else he's had to deal with since entering the Commons, with the MP saying he's "disappointed" that it has topped his in-tray.

The Conservative has also taken the step of revealing his support for David Cameron on it, saying the law change is a "relatively small" alteration in his view.

It comes despite more than 650,000 people across the UK signing petitions over the vote, which was shelved this week after the SNP revealed it would vote with Labour to keep the ban.

Mr Huddleston said: "I've had around 600 responses on this, it's disappointing because I got into politics for the big issues.

"I would have voted for the amendment, I think it's a relatively small amendment to the Hunting Act, it's not bringing back fox hunting.

"But I won't allow it to distract me from schools, the economy, health, that's what I want to focus on."

He also said the reaction from people was a "bit of both", with pro-hunting people bombarding him to back the amendment and campaigners against it pleading for him to do the opposite.

"In terms of the emails it was pretty mixed, but the letters and phone calls were more pro-hunting," he said.

The vote, which was scheduled for yesterday, was scrapped after the Government feared defeat as it had a Tory majority of just 12.

If approved, it would have meant farmers and landowners using as many hounds as they want to "flush out" foxes they regard as pests, rather than the current limit of two.

Hunting would also be allowed for purposes of 'research or observation', leading to an outcry that it was legally unenforceable.

Labour and the SNP were opposing the change and up to 50 Conservative MPs were believed to be undecided in the free vote.

The Government will first settle the matter of English votes for English-only laws, as the Hunting Act amendment does not affect Scotland.

As we revealed yesterday former Worcester MP Mike Foster, who kickstarted moves towards banning hunting via a Private Member's Bill in 1997 to enrage the 'pro' camp, found a dead fox outside his home on Monday night.