SUPPORTERS of fox hunting are being urged to join local Labour parties in the region in a last attempt to save the sport.

A new organisation, called the Rural Army, has set up a website to persuade activists to take out constituency membership at a cost of £2 a month.

The campaign believes Labour branches are vulnerable to take-over, because so many disillusioned members have left in protest at Tony Blair's leadership.

It said hunt supporters could quickly gain a major influence and put pressure on MPs who have voted for a hunting ban, particularly in marginal seats.

Among North-East Labour MPs who could be targeted are: Derek Foster (Bishop Auckland), Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland), Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby), Gerry Steinberg (City of Durham) and Dari Taylor (Stockton South).

All five voted in favour of a total ban when the Hunting Bill received its third reading in the House of Commons, on June 30.

Of the five, Mr Quinn (3,585), Mr Kumar (9,351) and Ms Taylor (9,086), had the smallest majorities at the last election, two years ago.

The Rural Army is running its campaign from the www.theruralarmy.co.uk website, which has a direct link to the Labour Party's site.

Constituencies in areas with a history of hunting are being targeted, to put pressure on their MPs to change their stance.

A Rural Army spokesman said: "Labour's current membership is probably less than 200,000, less than half that in 1997.

"Contrast that with the 407,000 people in London for the Countryside March and you can see the scope we have for influence."

A Labour Party spokesman said there was little it could do to prevent hunt supporters joining up, but warned there were rules to outlaw disruptive behaviour.

He said: "If people want to join the party with the sole intention of defending one particular issue that would be up to them."

Mark Shotton, master of the South Durham Hunt, in the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constituency, said: "I don't think it is possible to change these people's views.

"But there are a lot of hunt supporters who, like me, are already staunch Labour supporters. But they will change next time. I can see this costing Labour a lot of votes."