VALE hunts are expecting record turnouts for their Boxing Day event before next year's proposed ban.

Pro-hunt campaigners are adamant that next Monday's hunts will not be the last, despite plans to introduce the Hunting Act on February 18.

Organisers are encouraging as many people as possible to turn out. Police say they do not expect trouble at the events.

Christopher Houghton, secretary of the North Cotswolds Hunt, said: "We do expect a record number at the Boxing Day meet to show their support for the hunt and foxhunting. We always get a lot of people and we will expect more this year because there is a great deal of local sympathy.

"There is sympathy generally for the cause of foxhunting and the vast majority of people living in the countryside do not approve of the ban. The kennels have been in Broadway since 1867 and there is a lot of local support for that." He added the hunt plans to go out after February 18 in a 'manner that is lawful'.

Rosa Hill, spokeswoman for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said: "We are advising hunters to wind down their activity prior to February 18 and for people to stop breeding hounds. The vast majority of the British public supports a ban - what we are seeing is a vocal minority."

Police spokesman Richard Bull said: "We have no intelligence that leads us to think that we will need any extra policing.

"Probably there will be a large number of pro-hunting people around but not many anti-hunting supporters.

"They (pro-hunters) still have a cause to fight whereas the anti-hunters may feel they have done their job."

The Croome and West Warwickshire meet in Broad Street, Pershore, the North Cotswold at High Street, Broadway, Leadon Vale Bassets at Lower Lode Hotel, Forthampton, Tewkesbury, and the Warwickshire Beagles at the Rose & Crown, Feckenham.