RED-FACED huntsmen who gathered for a saintly anniversary on a bleak moor were forced to leave by an angry sheep farmer.

Members of the Weardale and Tees Valley Beagles converged on the moor above Stanhope, County Durham, yesterday to mark the death of St Hubert, the patron saint of hunting.

But shortly after the local rector, the Reverend Malcolm Goodall, had blessed the 35 hounds, sheep farmer Emerson Dobson drove up and told the huntsmen and their followers to get off his land.

Mr Dobson told them, in no uncertain terms, that the hounds would disturb his sheep.

An embarrassed Simon Beckett, senior master of the beagles pack, apologised and said the whole affair was due to a failure by the hunt to inform the landowner in advance about their meet.

"It is unfortunate, but it is only the second time in 35 years that we have had to call off a meet."

More than 30 members of the Weardale and Tees Valley Beagles had turned up.

Apart from commemorating the death of the 15th Century saint, they were also recalling the beagles' links with the Durham Light Infantry.

Retired Captain Ken McConkey, from Gainford, explained how the beagles pack was started at Lartington Hall, near Barnard Castle, by a brigade of the regiment.

When it left for Eygpt in 1957, the beagles were bought by local gentlemen to hunt for hares in Upper Teesdale.

The Rev Goodall said prayers for both the DLI and the Black Watch, now serving in Iraq.

Last night, Mr Dobson declined to comment further.