THOUSANDS of countryside campaigners in the region are preparing to descend on London at the weekend for a mass protest march.

At least 10,000 people from the region are expected to take specially-chartered trains and coaches to join the Countryside Alliance march in the capital on Sunday.

The marchers are aiming to display to the Government the growing anger of people living in the countryside about the state of rural communities, already battered by foot-and-mouth, and now facing a proposed ban on fox-hunting.

Richard Dodd, North-East regional director for the Countryside Alliance, said: "It will be a success. We're expecting 10,000 people from our region, if not more.

We've got three chartered trains holding about 2,000 people and we've got about 100 buses. We're having to turn people away because we haven't got space on the trains.

"We've got people from Sunderland, Durham and Gateshead, as well as the more rural areas."

His counterpart in North Yorkshire, Lindy Best, said: "It's been really hectic, my phone hasn't stopped. We've got about 150 coaches and two trains and several people lit beacons on Monday as part of the campaign."

The Country Land and Business Association says its regional office in Easingwold, near York, has been swamped with callers wanting travel information or placards.

Members of the Scottish Countryside Alliance, who are running from John O' Groats to London, were expected to pass through the region today on their way to the march, stopping off at the Golden Lion pub in Northallerton for breakfast.

The march is set to be one of the biggest demonstrations seen on the streets of London. More than 200,000 people have already pledged to take part, and organisers say the final figure could exceed the 280,000 who took part in the last march in February 1998.