IF you go down to the woods today, you’re sure for a big surprise – foxhunting with a difference.

A paintball company has come up with a unique way of beating the foxhunting ban...by using humans.

Instead of the traditional country pastime, UK Paintball is offering visitors armed with paintball guns the chance to chase people dressed up as foxes around their sites.

The novelty concept costs £400 for ten people and is available at a number of sites, including the north Essex paintball venue at Grange Farm, Pilcox Hall Lane, Tendring.

A spokesman said: “Whether you agree with foxhunting or not, there’s no doubt that when the hunting ban was brought in many people lost a hobby they loved.

“Now we’ve decided to recreate the experience as realistically as possible, with one main difference – we’re using a human fox and no animal loses its life.

“Obviously we will give the fox a head start, but once the horn is sounded, it’s every man for himself and the first one to land a shot on target will be crowned the winner.”

The company, which also has centres at Outwood Farm Road, Billericay, and Potash Wood, Hall Road, Rochford, even has a video of the sport in action on its website, UKPaintball.co.uk Each participant pays £40 and gets two sessions of about three hours and 300 paintballs.