MPs voted last night to ban the ancient sport of hare hunting with hounds in an amendment to the government's Hunting Bill.

James Gray, shadow rural affairs spokesman, said: "The whole bill is now out of control. It has been taken over by backbenchers who are ripping it to pieces.

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance told ePolitix.com: "The minister's position is completely indefensible. Rural people put their trust in his pledge to base the Bill honestly on 'principle and evidence'.

"He has not acted in good faith. It is clear that the Hunting Bill has been a sham from the start and is nothing but a vehicle for pushing through a ban on hunting, in the guise of a compromise, whilst Parliament and the news media are preoccupied with world affairs."

Forum Response: RSPCA

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: "CPHA - the umbrella organisation comprising IFAW, the League Against Cruel Sports and the RSPCA - is delighted that the committee of MPs have voted to accept that hare hunting, in addition to coursing, is simply cruel, and without utility.

"Over the last century, hare numbers have declined dramatically, and as the Burns Committee concluded 'there is little or no need to control overall hare numbers.' Lord Burns also found that 'hare hunting and coursing are essentially carried out for recreational purposes'.

"The hare hunting season runs for September to March, which means that some hunted females may leave orphaned and dependent young, despite claims from hunt supporters that hares are left undisturbed during the breeding season.

The hunted hare, being reluctant to leave familiar territory, will run in a large circle until worn down, caught and killed by the hounds. The Burns Committee concluded: 'this experience seriously compromises the welfare of the hare.'"