CAMPAIGNERS against fox hunting held protests yesterday at National Trust sites across the country.

Demonstrations took place at Gibside estate near Burnopfield, County Durham, where between 20 to 30 people took part. At least a dozen protestors gathered at Ravenscar on the Yorkshire Coast and there were also protests at Cragside House and Gardens in Northumberland.

Members of the public and campaigners also gathered at about 20 other sites across the country to express concerns about trail hunting, a practice that emerged after the 2004 Hunting Act, which prohibited the traditional hunt of wild animals with dogs.

Trail hunting is a legal practice, using an artificial scent on a cloth and without any animals being chased or injured.

Last year, after members of the National Trust demanded that the situation be reviewed, a vote on banning trail hunting on the charity’s land took place, but the practice was maintained.

Yesterday’s nationwide protests were arranged by campaigning group National Dis-Trust and backed by the League Against Cruel Sports.

A spokesman for National Dis-Trust said: “Yesterday we joined other wildlife protection groups to protest the continuation of so-called trail hunting licences being issued on National Trust land as part of a wider, and rapidly growing, campaign against bloodsports.

“We are calling on the trust to review the situation because we have collected much footage that shows that it is more than trail hunting taking place. The protests are just one of many actions planned to raise public awareness.

“We want the licences to be cancelled for all National Trusts sites and hope that when the trust comes to review its policy in June, it will listen to what we have said.

“We hope we can all work towards a resolution for the matter.”

A spokeswoman for the National Trust said site managers and staff had been briefed before the protests.

She said: “We have been carefully listening to both sides of a highly polarised and passionate debate around trail-hunting for years.

“People have the legal right to organise demonstrations and express their views. We accept these protests on our land, provided they are respectful and do not interfere with conservation or access for our visitors.”

“We have clear, robust, and transparent set of conditions for trail-hunting which can be found on our website.”