WEST Devon hunts have vowed to continue their sport ? despite last week?s government decision to ban hunting with dogs from February 18 next year. Michael Bickell, chair of Lamerton Hunt, said everyone involved in the hunt was ?very positive? in the face of the new legislation. He said: ?Our staff will continue to be employed as usual and we intend to keep going, hopefully within the law, which may be interpreted in different ways. ?We are obviously disgusted with this government, which has been driven by largely urban MPs who have no regard whatsoever for the countryside and its issues.? Mr Bickell is in discussions with the master of the hunt and the Council of Hunt Associations regarding the legal position of the hunt in future. ?We are positive we will keep our structure together,? said Mr Bickell, who this weekend is due to present a cheque for more than £4,000 to the Milton Abbot-based CHICKS charity. ?We hunt people have raised topside of £30,000 in the last three years for purely non-hunt related charities ? I feel very strongly about this, this sort of thing will cease if hunting doesn?t continue.? Guy Morlock, master of the Spooners and West Dartmoor Hunt, said: ?Our plan is to try and work within the law ? if we have to go to hunt with a drag or just with a couple of hounds to flush out that?s what we?ll do. ?The committee has decided not to flout the law absolutely head on, therefore we?ll try to work inside it as best we can.? Mr Morlock said the hounds were trained to hunt foxes and he could not say how quickly they could adapt to drag hunting. ?It?s going to be a difficult job ? in the past people have said it?s impossible ? it?s certainly not going to be easy, there are bound to be accidents,? he said. He was also unsure as to how keen farmers would be on riders drag hunting over their land, if there was no benefit of ridding the land of foxes. Mr Morlock said his home and livelihood, which depended on the hunt, would be under discussion in the coming months. Hunting was likely to be reduced from twice-weekly to once a week, he said. Mid Devon Hunt master George Lyon-Smith said the hunt was ?furious? the hunting ban had been passed. He said: ?It?s an entirely prejudicial bill, it?s nothing to do whatsoever with animal rights, it?s not going to save a single fox, hare or stag, it?s purely done to cater to the prejudices of the backbenchers.? Mr Lyon-Smith said the hunt was still in discussion as to how it could operate within the law. But he said members were determined to operate as normal. ?We are certainly not bowing down yet ? it?s a bad law that has been rushed through and it will be shown to be an ass,? he said. Farrier Steve Luxton from Lewdown, said the act had been ?like a sword of Damocles? hanging over him. Mr Luxton said it would be easy to over-dramatise the situation but realistically, he expected his business to suffer. ?I?ve lost one customer already who?s now moving from the country, that?s worth £100 a month to me ? it?s not the happiest scenario,? he said. West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett, who was not in the Commons to vote on the hunting bill last week, said he would have preferred to see hunts continue to operate under licence, banning ?digging out? practices. He said: ?Personally, I don?t hunt, and when we farmed, I forbade hunting on my land. ?However, I have always voted to keep hunting, purely on the basis that fox numbers need to be controlled.? Mr Burnett said 700 hours of parliamentary time had been wasted on the bill, when far more important matters could have been dealt with. But Peter Anderson, West Devon spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports, was pleased a ban had been achieved and said it was now time to move on. ?I think if the hardcore handful of hunt fanatics do decide to break the law they will marginalise themselves and the police will deal with them,? he said. The hunting ban will make it ?an offence for a person to hunt a wild mammal with a dog? ? those found breaking the law will face a fine of up to £5,000 and the possible confiscation of dogs, horses and other hunting equipment. Devon and Cornwall Police have yet to come up with a policy to deal with those who flout the new law and continue to hunt. A spokesman said: ?We will need to consider the potential operational policing implications, taking into account the details, and will be able to comment on this shortly.?