The Liberal Democrat leader has admitted there is a 50-50 spilt in his party over whether to ban hunting with hounds.

With the government confirming last week that another Commons vote on banning hunting with hounds in England and Wales will be held on 18 March, the issue has again moved up the political agenda.

Interviewed on Sky News' Sunday With Adam Boulton programme, Charles Kennedy indicated that he had not yet fully decided on whether to vote for a ban on hunting or back the "middle way" of increased regulation and licensing.

"I've always voted for prohibition in the past. I've become more interested, more attracted by this 'middle-way' option," he told Sky News.

Admitting he was "rather sceptical" when the plan for tougher regulation was first put forward by party colleague Lembit Opik, Kennedy said that he wanted to examine the detail of it further before deciding whether to continue his support for an outright ban.

Pressed on whether his party was split on the issue, he said: " I would say it's about 50/50 in our parliamentary party, yes. So I'll certainly not be opposing a ban, but I want to look at the detail of this 'middle-way' option as it's described, to see if that one is feasible or realistic."

The Lib Dem leader said there would be a free vote on the issue

"I've never personally put the foxhunting issues as one of the prime issues of the day," he said.

"So I don't see myself out being evangelical in any particular direction. But when presented by a vote in parliament, I'll cast my vote like anybody else."

The Liberal Democrats are not the only party facing splits on the issue, however.

While a substantial majority of backbench Labour MPs support an outright ban, Tony Blair is thought to be drawn to the "middle way" as a means of avoiding alienating countryside support.

But former sports minister Tony Banks warned there could be no compromise on the issue.

"The so-called 'middle way' is licensed killing," he told BBC1's Breakfast with Frost on Sunday.

"It's no great consolation to a wild mammal that it is being ripped to pieces according to some form of latter-day Queensberry Rules."

"It is not acceptable and it will not be accepted by the House of Commons," said the Labour backbencher.

Banks called on the government to use the Parliament Act to overrule the objections of peers and force through the hunt ban.

But leader of the Commons Robin Cook said such circumstances were a long way off.

"That's a long way down the river. First of all we have said that in the light of the two votes in both Houses, we will consider that, and consider whether there's a way of resolving the issue between the two Houses. And we will announce before the Easter recess how will intend to go about that. So we've along way to go yet before we're in deadlock," he told the Sunday With Adam Boulton programme.

Cook said he would personally be supporting the "middle way" but repeated that it would be a free vote for MPs.

"It's going to be up to parliament. I mean, at the end of the day, when there is legislation, it will be parliament that will have to pass the legislation, and again, that will not be on a whipped basis, it will be a free vote."