Make Hunting History protest: Thousands descend on Downing Street in anti-hunting march

Thousands of people have descended on Downing Street in a huge protest against the Conservative Party’s stance on the fox hunting ban.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said that if the Conservatives win the General Election on June 8, she will offer Parliament a free vote to repeal the ban on fox hunting.

On Bank Holiday Monday the Make Hunting History march, which is expected to be the largest public protest of the entire General Election campaign, saw thousands make their feelings on the subject known.

The protest left Cavendish Square at about 1.30pm, proceeding down Regents Street, Haymarket and around Trafalgar Square before entering Whitehall.

It finished at Richmond Terrace opposite Downing Street shortly after 2pm.

The event was organised by an alliance of anti-hunt campaign groups and individuals, and speakers included actor and animal rights activist Peter Egan, wildlife campaigner and writer Dominic Dyer and and TV presenter Bill Oddie.

Oddie said it is "ridiculous" that fox hunting has been put back on the agenda.

He compared the possibility of changing the law on fox hunting to changing speed limits just because "people like driving fast".

Speaking ahead of the rally, Oddie said: "I cannot believe that I'm standing here today saying to the Prime Minister this is ridiculous.

"It's a bit like some years ago they had a speed limit and they decided 'Speed limit? 30. On the motorways we'll go up to 60'.

"And then 15 years later somebody said 'Can we change it?' And they said 'Why?' - 'Well people like driving fast''... We'll change the law for no sensible reason except purely there are people who want to go fox hunting."

Egan said at the protest: “I’ve been voting now since 1966, for 51 years I’ve been voting for various governments.

“None of them have ever got everything right, in fact some of them have got nothing right, most of them get perhaps one thing right.

“In 2004, Tony Blair’s government got it right when he brought in the hunting ban

“In 2002, Theresa May in opposition got it right when she described her party as the nasty party.

“In 2017 she’s about to get it right because they are becoming the nasty party if they vote to repeal the hunting ban.”

Over 130,000 people have signed an online petition criticising the policy.

Speaking on the campaign trail in Yorkshire earlier this month, Prime Minister Theresa May said she would push for Parliament to vote on the reversing the ban having “always been in favour” of the controversial country sport.

She said: “This is a situation on which individuals will have one view or the other, either pro or against.

“As it happens personally I have always been in favour of fox hunting and we maintain out commitment - we have had a commitment previously as a Conservative Party - to allow a free vote.

“And that's what it will allow, would allow, Parliament the opportunity to take a decision on this."

Professor Andrew Knight, who is standing for the Animal Welfare Party against Mrs May in the constituency of Maidenhead, said it is "profoundly disturbing" that the Prime Minister thinks fox hunting is acceptable.

"We need to have leaders of our country that have basic compassion for animals and other vulnerable members of our society," he said.

"Theresa May clearly, I think, is unfit to lead this country, if she clearly and demonstrably lacks these basic qualities."