Hunt protesters and supporters were out in force in Maldon on Boxing Day for the Essex Farmers and Union annual meeting.

It was the largest demonstration in Britain attended by the League Against Cruel Sports. Protesters were also present along the route of hunts in Greenstead Green, near Braintree, and Roxwell.

League Against Cruel Sports spokesman Laurie Payne, said: "We were very pleased with the support in Maldon and estimate that there were at least 300 protesters who, in a noisy but peaceful manner, managed to vent their feelings.

"There were about 200 people there supporting the hunt, and this is the third time we have outnumbered them. The event was well policed and our protesters were allowed to give voice to their dissatisfaction that foxhunting is still going on in the country."

About 30 police officers were deployed in Maldon, and Essex Police senior press officer Peter Laurie said that protests passed off without any arrests.

Joint master of the hunt Ken Howard agreed that the event was well policed, but had a different view on the make-up of the crowd.

"The hunt went very well," he said. "There was a good crowd in Maldon, which included a lot of antis along the route, but they were outnumbered by people supporting the hunt.

"There does not seem to be as much support for banning the hunt since the Countryside March, and I hope that it will continue well into the future, but we accept that everyone is entitled to their own opinion."

Members of Essex Farmers and Union hunt in Maldon High Street.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.