THE Government today risked the fury of countryside groups by announcing a vote to ban hunting with dogs will take place before Easter.

Leader of the House Robin Cook said an "indicative" vote would be held in the Commons and the Lords.

Farmers, hunters and Conservative and pro-hunt MPs all reacted angrily, claiming the resurrection of the hunting issue was a reward for Labour backbenchers' support of the under-fire Transport Secretary Stephen Byers.

Some also accused the Government of using this week's North Yorkshire foot and mouth scare as a diversion from the Byers row. Both claims are strongly denied by the Government, with Labour whips insisting two days had not been enough time to introduce a fresh hunting debate.

Ryedale MP John Greenway said: "The timing of this announcement is absolutely scandalous.

"Why are they thinking about doing this at a time when the rural economy and way of life has taken such a pounding ?"

Andrew Osbourne, joint master of the Sinnington Hunt, said he believed the Government's announcement was an attempt to divert attention away from the Byers affair. "It is totally pathetic that the Government is trying to use the rural way of life as an easy target to appease the Labour backbenchers," he said.

Frank Houghton Brown, master of the Middleton Hunt, said the rural community would fight any ban proposals.

"I am amazed that with so many other important issues around, the Government has chosen to highlight this," he said.

Rosie Dunn, NFU vice chair for North Yorkshire, said she had heard talk that the situation was being used to mask the Byers controversy. She said: "It's a difficult one to gauge really and it's quite easy to be cynical."

The expected overwhelming vote in favour of a hunting ban will trigger new legislation that could lead to a blanket ban in England and Wales by next summer.

But there was also disappointment the Government had not decided to bring back the Bill which was blocked by the House of Lords before last June's

General Election.

Bringing back the old Bill would have allowed the Government to invoke the Parliament Act later this year to force a ban through the Lords.

Any new legislation will have to start from scratch.

MPs and peers, who will be given a free vote, will be asked to support or reject three options. These are: an outright fox hunting ban; the "middle way" option, which

would allow hunting to continue under licence or maintaining the status quo.

Scientists have given another boost to hopes that North Yorkshire's foot and mouth scare is a false alarm.

A second test on samples taken from sheep at St Agnes Farm, Hawnby, near Thirsk, has come back negative, farmer Robin Garbutt said today.

Britain's farmers have been on tenterhooks since a vet found lesions - possible signs of foot and mouth disease - in the mouths of two sheep at the farm on Tuesday.

It will take until the weekend for the remaining results of tests to come through and the final all-clear can hopefully be given.

Updated: 14:04 Thursday, February 28, 2002