Pro-hunt groups took their campaign to DEFRA's regional offices on Friday in a bid to lobby against a ban on hunting with hounds.

Letters were delivered to 14 headquarters, including the department's Smith Square offices in London, where a senior civil servant received a copy on behalf of rural affairs minister Alun Michael.

"The liberty of thousands, and the livelihood of thousands, of law-abiding citizens would be extinguished by a ban. Such a ban would be unenforceable, self-defeating in animal welfare terms, and prejudicial to wildlife diversity and the physical landscape," the letter read.

"Your government must show that it is determined to avoid the needless destructiveness to human and animal communities in the countryside that a ban would bring about."

Representatives from organisations including the Countryside Alliance, the Council of Hunting Associations and the National Gamekeepers' Organisation were among the London delegation.

At other offices, rallies were also held where "thousands of campaigners" made their case.

Friday's action marked the start of a series of demonstrations planned in a campaign dubbed the "summer of discontent".

The groups are planning two mass marches through Central London.

These will replace of the action planned in March last year, which was cancelled due to the foot and mouth outbreak, at which more than half a million people were expected to attend.

"Rural Britain has today come together to warn government that it would be foolish to ignore the scale and depth of distrust and anger rural people feel at this moment," said Richard Burge, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance.

"Politically, the countryside is tinder-dry. Hunting has become the touchstone for the countryside's overall concerns. Rural people have lost faith that the institution of government will deliver a fair and just resolution to this problem."

"This clearly shows that the hunting alliance is resorting to more and more desperate tactics because they have already lost the arguement," a spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports said.

"They have a small and noisy minority of people who do not reflect the views of those who live in rural Britain. Polls have shown that more people oppose hunting than support it in rural areas."

"We believe that hunting foxes, deer, hare and mink with dogs is cruel and unncessary.We will be urging the government through peaceful and democratic campaigns to impose a ban on these cruel sports at the earliest possibility," he said.

In a statement, rural affairs minister Alun Michael claimed that hunting was not a priority issue for many rural people, and repeated that providing a free vote was a manifesto pledge.

"I have made it clear that had these documents been brought to DEFRA on a day when I was in London I would have been happy to receive them personally, and that the views contained in them will be considered fully," he said.

"However, leading organisations on both sides have been offered and accepted the invitation to become engaged in the process set out in my statement to the House of Commons on March 21st. In particular that seeks views on issues of utility and of cruelty."

"To plan protests outside the building when you have a seat at the table does seem rather odd. Opponents of hunting have the same right to be heard and my role is to ensure that all views are taken into account fairly and objectively as legislation is prepared," he added.

Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth claimed that the proposed series of demonstrations "clearly demonstrates" the frustration and anger felt in rural communities towards Labour.

"This urban government doesn't seem to understand the problems facing the countryside and is widely believed not to care. Rural crime is rising, rural services are failing, there is a crisis in farm incomes and 60,000 rural jobs have been lost in the last three years. The government has failed to provide a solution," he said.

"It is not surprising that people who live and work in the countryside have run out of patience with Labour and its metropolitan values."

Malcolm Bruce, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, said: "People are entitled to highlight their opposition to proposed legislation. A majority of parliamentarians have voted for a ban in hunting.

"However, this does not mean that the public doesn't have the right to oppose this decision, or highlight the reasons why they disagree with it."