TOWN Conservative MP Peter Luff believes his proposals to allow licensed hunting with dogs will be successful following support from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

Mr Luff was responding to claims from anti-hunting groups that regulation was unenforceable and the only realistic option was a total ban.

The ACPO public order sub-committee which consulted with the Home Office about proposed legislation said that, while it was for Parliament to decide, there were advantages to resolving the hunt situation without police involvement.

A spokesman for ACPO said : "For practical policing reasons, there was strong support for the option of having hunting with dogs controlled and regulated by an independent licensing body which did not involve the police.

"Significant concerns were expressed over the practical difficulties of enforcing a total ban."

Mr Luff, who is joint chairman of the Middle Way group, which proposes regulation of hunting by an independent body, said West Mercia Constabulary fully supports ACPO's position.

He added: "This means that claims that the Middle Way group's proposals are unenforceable have been demolished.

"Indeed, they look the most easily enforceable of the three options of self-regulation, licensing and a ban.

"We always said our proposals were good for animal welfare and civil liberties. Now we know they are good for public order too."

Anita Knittel, of the Worcestershire branch of Protect Our Wild Animals, said the Middle Way's plan was just licensed animal abuse.

She claimed hunts flouted the rules under self-regulation and the same would happen under a licensing body.

MPs voted for an outright ban on Wednesday January 17. The Bill will now be debated by the House of Lords.