HUNT supporters in Worcestershire have welcomed news today that foxhunting is set to continue for another year under a deal sanctioned by Tony Blair.

The field sport will be outlawed from February 18 after the Parliament Act was used to force through a ban in the face of opposition from the Lords.

But the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith will not fight an application for an injunction from the Countryside Alliance.

That means hunting could continue until all the avenues of legal appeal are exhausted.

Bob Brierley, spokesman for the Worcestershire Hunt, said anything that would extend the killing of foxes in a humane way rather than them being "shot to death" had to be welcomed.

"But I'm not surprised," he added.

"We're coming up to a General Election in May and the Prime Minister doesn't want to rock the boat and risk a campaign of civil disobedience."

The Alliance is expected to apply for an injunction - which could see the ban postponed for several months or a year - when the case comes before the Appeal Court late next month.

Claire Rowson, Countryside Alliance regional director for the West Midlands, said the news that this would not be opposed seemed to be common sense.

"But we're not jumping up and down and swinging from the lights about this," she said.

"Tony Blair thinks this is going to help him but it won't lessen the anger in the countryside.

"It won't stop hunt supporters getting involved in the General Election campaign to remove those Labour MPs who voted to ban hunting."

Worcester MP Mike Foster - who was prompted by Evening News readers to initiate the bid to ban hunting with dogs through a Private Member's Bill in 1997 - said he maintained the Countryside Alliance challenge would fail.

"But we didn't expect the Countryside Alliance to just accept the will of Parliament or the people - they are going to test the law," he said.

"It does look as if the threat of civil disturbance will disappear if there is an ongoing court case and that may prevent any disruption to the General Election, which I know the Prime Minister is conscious of.

"But Parliament has done its bit, and as MPs, we want to move on to spend our time on other matters."