Hunt supporters have been out in force for the traditional post-Christmas meetings and called on the British government to revisit the “farcical” hunting act.

Jill Grieve, from the Countryside Alliance, said the decision to continue the ban on hunting with dogs into next year, despite David Cameron’s personal commitment to ending it, was understandable because of other matters facing the country due to the deficit, but said ministers needed to, at least, make clear what was legal or not under the existing Act.

“We find that huntsmen do a great job and work very hard,” she said, “and every time they go to work they are under threat of prosecution.

“The hunting Act is so bad that they thought it had been banned but it is so unclear.

“The people going out on horseback and the people who are involved, who think they are acting within the law, are under fear of finding themselves locked up in a police cell and are under threat of prosecution every time they go to work.

“It’s so unclear it’s hard to say what is and what is not illegal.”