FOX hunts might soon be applying for public handouts to help them get over the financial difficulties caused by the foot and mouth outbreak, supporters of the sport said today.

But anti-blood sports protesters said the idea of Government money being used to fund hunting would be "outrageous".

The sport's fundraising activities have been hampered over the summer and the Government has imposed restrictions on fox-hunting unlikely to be lifted before the new season which was due to start after the September harvest.

John Haigh, a spokesman for the Country Alliance in North Yorkshire, said hunts could soon be applying for small business hardship grants provided by regional development agencies.

He said: "Some hunts have cut staff right down to a minimum, just like other rural businesses, and if it went on for a long time they might have to get rid of some of their hounds.

"If the ban carries on there is no reason why hunts should not apply for grants, they are rural businesses just like other rural businesses."

Frank Houghton-Brown, joint master of the Middleton Hunt, said though he was not considering applying for hardship relief, many hunts may be forced to do so.

"We are a business and we bring income into the local area - but since the foot and mouth crisis started we have had to stop," he said.

"We have had to lay three people off because of the crisis.

"I think though that if we started applying for grants it would take the limelight off farmers which would not be fair."

Mike Hobday, spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "It would be outrageous for a penny of public money to be spent on subsidising the blood lust of small groups of hunters.

"We don't believe that hunts will be eligible for this scheme and we hope that they will waste a lot of time applying - rather that, than they spend their time out in the countryside killing wild mammals for sport."

Updated: 12:11 Tuesday, August 14, 2001