Romsey MP Sandra Gidley faces a battle at the next General Election after it emerged Romsey is on a hit-list of seats being targeted by fox-hunters.

Huntsmen and women are being urged to support candidates - mainly Tories - who will repeal a hunting ban.

Pro-hunters would help with activities such as distributing leaflets, putting up posters and stuffing envelopes.

Mrs Gidley's seat is being targeted because her majority is so slim - just 2,370 votes.

Four Hampshire hunts face the chop if a ban goes ahead.

The choice of seats is certain to provoke Liberal Democrat accusations that hunt supporters are acting as a wing of the Conservative party.

The Countryside Alliance has no formal involvement in this strategy and cannot involve itself directly in election campaigns.

But grassroots hunt people insist they have the right as individuals to campaign.

The election strategy was compiled by Jeremy Sweeney, a professional lobbyist, who has no political affiliations and does not hunt.

He believes it is possible for the hunt vote to influence the outcome in many seats in the same way as it swung opinion against Jackie Ballard, the former anti-hunt Liberal Democrat MP in Taunton, at the last election.

He said: "Labour does not know how many lurcher and terrier men are seriously unhappy that they might be caught up in this legislation. The vast majority of hunting in this country is done by men and women with lurchers and not lords and ladies on horseback chasing foxes."