A NORTH Yorkshire businessman and former chief executive of the Countryside Alliance has denied claims he is behind the pro-hunting graffiti appearing across the county.

Edward Duke, of Stillington, headed the Countryside Alliance in 1997.

But he says rumours that he is organising the activities of the self-named Real Countryside Alliance are completely unfounded.

Pro-hunting graffiti sprayed on roads and signs across the county first appeared several weeks ago.

In the last two weeks activists have struck at the office of York MP Hugh Bayley.

A dozen poster stickers were plastered across the outside of the MP's Holgate Road base.

The green A4-sized highly-adhesive stickers, which contain the phrase Hunting Is Freedom, caused damage that is expected to cost hundreds of pounds to repair.

But Mr Duke, who hunts with the Middleton Hunt, insisted the activities were nothing to do with him. He said: "I agree in principle with their sentiments, but it is nothing to do with me.

Mr Duke said he believed people were linking him with the Real CA after an article naming him as a hunt supporter appeared in a national newspaper.

He said: "I've had several phone calls as a result of that.

"A police sergeant from Cambridge contacted me to ask about the Real CA but I told him I have not even been to Cambridge for a number of years."

Mick Casey, county representative for the Countryside Alliance, emphasised that they did not condone the acts of vandalism and graffiti appearing in the name of the Real CA.

He said: "These people have nothing to do with us whatsoever, and they are not doing it in our name.

"While we can sympathise with people's views, there is a democratic way of doing these things.

"We talk to ministers and organise protest marches - we certainly would not condone acts of vandalism."

Updated: 11:52 Monday, June 24, 2002