Evidence has emerged of a second artificial earth on land owned by a North Yorkshire fox hunt.

Photographs and a video tape have been passed to the Evening Press, showing what the RSPCA says has all the appearances of a man-made earth at Muscoates Whin near Kirkbymoorside, owned by the Sinnington Hunt.

The RSPCA found two bedraggled fox cubs living in a different earth at Muscoates Whin last year but decided last month it did not have enough evidence to merit launching a prosecution.

Artificial earths, which provide an environment where foxes can live, are not illegal.

But critics say their presence tends to encourage foxes - running contrary to one of the arguments for fox hunting that it is needed to keep down the population of the pest.

RSPCA Chief Inspector Paul Stilgoe, who said the latest scenes captured on camera had all the appearances of an artificial earth, added: "I would like to know why hunts are allowing artificial earths on their land.

"If the purpose of hunting is to control the pest population, why do they encourage the animals to live on their land?"

The photographs were sent to the Evening Press by a Ryedale man, who claimed they were taken in 1997 and showed that last year's earth discovery was not a one-off occurrence. Video footage shot earlier this month showed that the earth was still there.

James Holt, chairman of the Sinnington Hunt, suggested the pipe end shown in the photograph was a drain rather than an artificial earth, but added: "There's nothing illegal about an artificial earth. Many were dug 100 years ago.

"The RSPCA was investigating allegations of animal cruelty, and decided there were no charges to be faced.

"There can be no possible connection between these prints and the unsubstantiated allegations of cruelty."

The Masters of Fox Hounds Association's code of practice lists golden rules, which state: "Foxhunting as a sport is the hunting of the fox in his wild and natural state with a pack of hounds. Nothing must be done which in any way compromises this rule."

But MFHA director, Alistair Jackson, denied that artificial earths breached this rule, saying they did not encourage more foxes, but merely encouraged them to stay at locations where they might be found.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.