HUNT supporters clashed with the Government's Rural Affairs Minister as he left a conference last night.

A group protesting at the Hunting Bill attacked Alun Michael's car as he left a meeting with the Association of National Parks in Exeter, Devon.

The vehicle was pelted with eggs by the 300-strong crowd gathered across the road.

Protestors threw themselves in front of the car and dozens of others broke through police lines and barricades.

In seconds, officers surrounded the vehicle and tried to drag protestors from it.

At least one protestor appeared to be hurt in the melee.

After about 20 seconds, the car, accompanied by a police vehicle, raced off down the street.

Until then, the crowd had been kept behind steel barricades by about 60 policemen.

It was when the minister's car reached an area of the street where there were no barricades that the protestors tried to stop the vehicle.

Earlier, Mr Michael had refused to rule out a compromise over the proposed ban on hunting in England and Wales.

Speaking at a news conference, Mr Michael said Prime Minister Tony Blair had sought from the beginning to find a compromise.

He said: "It has been very difficult - after a great deal of effort to find middle ground or grounds - for a compromise because people's views are so strong on either side of the argument."

But asked whether he was ruling out a deal, the minister replied: "I am not ruling anything out."

Mr Michael met five hunting supporters, in his first face-to-face meeting with opponents since the Bill was brought back, and said he did not understand the point of the protests. He said: "It is the House of Commons who voted last week on a free vote."

Alison Hawes, South-West regional director of the Countryside Alliance, said there was no progress in their meeting but promised the alliance would keep up the fight, with protests at the Labour Party conference in Brighton next week.

She said: "He promised any legislation would be based on evidence of principle, but the legislation before the House at the moment is based on the prejudice of his own back benchers. It is very important the Government understands the fury that exists in the countryside about this issue."

Mr Michael said that he had spoken to leaders of the Countryside Alliance, because he was concerned that it appeared the alliance had suggested people would be justified in going further than peaceful protest.