FOX hunting can today resume across the New Forest after a ten-month lay-off caused by the national foot-and-mouth crisis.

But the first meeting of New Forest Hounds, pictured, will take place on Boxing Day at the Balmer Lawn Hotel, Brockenhurst.

The government's go-ahead for foxhunting to resume was welcomed by hunt spokesman Nick Smith.

He said: "Hunting was the one thing that had not been restored to the Forest, but everything is now back to normal."

Hunts will need a licence from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

But the licences were today described as "not worth the paper they are written on" by the New Forest Animal Protection Group.

A spokesman said: "I don't know of any other situation that involves people policing themselves in this way.

"There aren't enough groups like ours and it will be up to the hunts to be up front about any mistakes they make."