POLICE are desperate to avoid a clash between supporters and activists when the foxhunting season starts in Dorset.

As the fox hunting debate intensifies, the force's top officers have called meetings with campaigners from both sides to advise on safety issues and discuss concerns in a bid to quell any trouble.

Extra officers will be drafted in to police hunts if there is any threat of trouble while security could be stepped up at the homes of animal rights campaigners.

Last week MPs voted to ban hunting with dogs despite violent clashes in London and the debate in the House of Commons being interrupted by protesters.

Weymouth saw its own demonstration on Monday when more than 200 hunt protesters forced rural affairs minister Alun Michael to pull out of a planned charity launch.

Dorset Police assis- tant chief constable Adrian Whiting said: "We hold meetings with interested parties each year at the beginning of the hunting season.

"This year however we have to consider events against a different background.

"We appreciate that feelings will be running high and protests could well be scaled up in light of the events in London."

Mr Whiting added: "Each year there is an amount of protest but fortunately we have not seen a significant level of offences committed in Dorset.

"We police an event in relation to the intelligence available at the time. Extra officers may be needed depending on the information we receive."

Neal Buckoke, who leads the small but active Dorset Anti-Bloodsports group, said he attended a meeting at force headquarters, Winfrith.

He said: "The meeting was an opportunity for us to discuss fears about our own personal safety.

"We told the police we're sticking together at hunts now instead of operating in separate groups.

"The hunting lobby are a frustrated bunch and we think they will take it out on us."

Mr Buckoke, who says his Dorchester home has been targeted because of his involvement in hunt sabotage, added: "The police said I could well be getting a panic alarm at my house which is a great idea because I'd like to keep my family out of all this."

Huntmasters are due to meet with the police next week.

Both Rory Innes, joint-master of the South Dorset Hunt, and Portman master Andrew Cook said they had no specific issues to discuss with the police.

Mr Cook warned that hunt supporters had to be prepared to be more flexible this year in case they had to attend a demonstration at the last minute. He said: "We're not lying down yet and will carry on hunting as normal."

Mr Innes said there had been incredible show of support for hunting recently and hoped more people would join events when the main season starts in November.