MP celebrates 5 years of the hunting ban.

Wayne David, the Labour MP for Caerphilly, has celebrated the fifth anniversary of hunting being banned by Parliament. To coincide with this anniversary, a new petition has been launched at www.backtheban.com to help protect the ban.

The landmark Hunting Act, which outlawed the cruel practice of the hunting of wild mammals with dogs, was passed into law in England and Wales in November 2004. Since then the law has made a real difference in preventing animal cruelty, with dozens of people being prosecuted.

The ban remains overwhelmingly popular. A recent opinion poll conducted by IPSOS Mori showed that 75 percent of people support it and do not want hunting with dogs to be made legal again.

Mr David said, "The hunting ban was an important piece of legislation and I was proud to be able to vote for its introduction as the Bill went through the House of Commons. However, David Cameron's Conservative Party have pledged to make getting rid of the fox-hunting ban a priority if they were to win the next election. With all the challenges the world is currently facing, overturning this popular  piece of legislation should not be on the agenda for any government.

"As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the ban, it is important that those of us who support it continue to work with animal welfare organisations to ensure that it is not repealed. If, like me, you do not want to see the return of fox hunting I would encourage you to sign the online petition at www.backtheban.com".