AS the traditional Boxing Day hunts approach, Batley and Spen MP Mike Wood has pledged to push harder for a ban on the sport.

Mr Wood has said he is still determined to fight for a ban on hunting with dogs by pushing for the Hunting Bill to be reintroduced to Parliament as soon as possible.

He said: "My constituents have repeatedly told me that they want to see an end to the horrific cruelty of hunting with dogs.

"This Boxing Day will see hunts around the country continue to flout public opinion by indulging in a cruel spectacle.

"I will continue to push for a ban on hunting to become law during this Parliament so that this cruelty is stopped."

Mr Wood is working with Campaigning to Protect Hunted Animals, an anti-hunt coalition of the League Against Cruel Sports, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the RSPCA.

The Hunting Bill was introduced by the Government to ban stag hunting and hare coursing, but to allow fox hunting under licence.

But this summer anti-hunting MPs voted for the bill to be re-written to include a total ban on hunting with dogs.

That plan was rejected by the House of Lords in October.

The Lords wanted the bill to allow fox hunting, stag hunting and hare coursing under licence. There was not enough time before Parliament ended to discuss the bill further.

No firm plans to debate the bill were announced when Parliament re-opened in November, but the door has been left open for it to be re- introduced.

If it is brought back in the same form as it left the House of Commons - proposing a total ban on hunting - and the House of Lords vetoes the plans a second time, the Government could force the legislation through by using the Parliament Act of 1949.

If this happened, the ban on hunting would become law in November, 2004.