Rural Scots campaigners have travelled to London to take part in a march against a proposed ban on hunting with dogs in England.

Organisers of Sunday's march, the Countryside Alliance, said as many as 400,000 people marched through central London to highlight rural concerns.

Those taking part in the protest which began at 1000 BST - called the March for Liberty and Livelihood - demanded the right to continue fox hunting and for other grievances felt by rural communities to be addressed.

Scotland was the first part of the UK to ban mounted hunting with dogs, effectively outlawing fox-hunting, fox-baiting and hare coursing.

If they're not bothering anyone else directly then they are still a legitimate sport in my book

Paul Jamieson Pro-hunt campaigner

Protesters also want to see the problems of unemployment, poverty and crime tackled.

The Scottish Conservatives said Downing Street should learn from the mess which the Scottish Parliament made in banning hunting north of the border.

Tory MSP David Mundell said he joined other Scots in London to demonstrate their anger "at what the parliament has done".

He said: "The whole thing is a mess, and I hope that the Westminster parliament will take heed.

Scotland ban

"There are so many other more important issues facing rural areas.

"It is time the Westminster and Scottish parliaments ditched their obsession with the views of an urban based politically correct clique and started to focus their attention on the issues that really matter to people in our rural communities."

Scotland was the first part of the UK to ban mounted hunting with hounds.

MSPs voted by 83 to 36 with five abstentions to pass the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill.

In a controversial move, they opted not to provide compensation to people who lose their jobs or businesses as a result of the ban.

An estimated 10,000 Scots travelled to London

UK Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael has said that he recognised the countryside had endured a difficult time.

Earlier this year the House of Commons voted for an outright ban on hunting, while the House of Lords voted for hunting to continue under licence.

Paul Jamieson, who travelled to London for the march, said people's jobs were at stake.

He said: "I can't see why all these things should be made illegal and if they're not bothering anyone else directly then they are still a legitimate sport in my book.

'Feelings known'

"If anyone was losing their job or career they would fight for it, so I don't see why on earth I shouldn't."

Kate Fleming, from Blairgowrie, organised a bus to take protesters from Scotland to the march.

She said it was important they showed their support for people who were fighting to save fox hunting south of the border.

"I think in light of foot-and-mouth last year and how it affected us all, it is really important that we make our feelings known about this," she said.