THE League Against Cruel Sports has complained to police after claiming to have seen the hunting ban being breached in the Devon countryside.

The claim concerns a meet of the East Devon Hunt and the Axe Vale Hunt on private land at Otterton and Colaton Raleigh, near Exmouth.

Hunt leaders have strenuously denied the claim, saying they never break the law.

About 70 people, many on horseback and including children, took part with about 30 hounds.

League members, including trustee Ivor Annetts, 70, from Tiverton, took video footage and reported the hunts to police on suspicion they were not acting within the law.

The law states that hounds cannot pursue foxes and must instead follow a scent trail. Mr Annetts said he spent about two hours shooting video footage at Burnthouse Farm, east of Colaton Raleigh, last Tuesday.

"I have recorded video of hounds being entered into areas where foxes were likely to be and where it would be most unlikely or impossible for a horse or quad bike to lay a trail."

He added: "We observed what they were doing and it was very suspicious behaviour which leads us to believe the hounds were seeking out foxes."

Mr Annetts said they did not see any foxes emerge during their observation of the huntsmen and women.

Lucy Wastenage, joint master of the East Devon Hunt, insisted the hunt always acted within the law and denied it used hounds to hunt foxes, including last week's meet. "We breed and train our hounds to follow a trail rather than look for live foxes. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest we were hunting foxes with packs of hounds."