COSTUMED anti-hunting campaigners took to Gillingham High Street on Monday to drum-up support to retain the present law banning the sport.

Members of the International Fund for Animal Welfare fear fox-hunting with hounds could return after the Government pledged to hold an open parliamentary vote on repealing the Hunting Act, introduced in 2004.

Campaign: An anti-hunting campaigner dressed as Freddie the Fox meets 6-year-old Leah Peacock, from Gillingham

The organisation is visiting all constituencies where MPs have not made their voting intentions public.

Campaigners dressed as a fox, a hare and a stag have been handing out leaflets and urging shoppers to return postcards which will be sent to MPs.

IFAW's senior hunting and prosecutions officer Tania McCrea-Steele said: "We want to remind MPs the majority of the British public want to see our wildlife protected.

"The Hunting Act was introduced to stop foxes, deer, hare and mink from being chased and killed for so-called sport."

Gillingham and Rainham MP Rehman Chishti refused to say how he would vote on the issue.

He did however comment: "I appreciate the strong feelings which this issue arouses.

"As a member of the RSPCA I care about the welfare of all animals.

"The Government has pledged that, during the lifetime of the current Parliament, there will be a free vote on a motion on hunting.

"However, tackling the huge budget deficit we inherited is the important issue facing our country at the present time and I agree."