A PEMBROKESHIRE MP was the target of an early morning pro-hunt protest last week.

Campaigners blowing hunting horns began picketing outside Nick Ainger's Pembroke Dock home at 7.40am on Sunday morning and between 40 and 50 protesters eventually converged on the South Pembrokeshire MP's doorstep.

Mr Ainger said he was already awake but was angry that his neighbours were disturbed by the noise.

He said: "My neighbours are not involved in any way but when people are blowing hunting horns, they didn't only disturb me but others who weren't up. People have got an absolute right to demonstrate and there are strong feelings on both sides, but I was a bit surprised."

Mr Ainger, the government whip for the hunting bill, has always voted in favour of a ban but was happy to discuss the issue with the protesters.

He added: "They made their point and I responded to them and made my point. I said that as in all previous votes I would be voting in support of a ban because I believe it causes unnecessary suffering and there are other ways of dealing with foxes if they become pests. I didn't change their views and they didn't change mine."

The hunting bill was set to go through all its Commons stages yesterday (Wednesday) and have its first reading in the House of Lords today (Thursday). If the Lords don't deal with the bill by mid-November, the Government will implement the Parliament Act to force it through.

However, an amendment to the bill means hunting may not be outlawed until 2006, giving communities time to deal with any changes.

Mr Ainger added: "This will allow hunts to make the necessary arrangements to develop drag hunting as an alternative, the RSPCA can re-home hounds, and it will give people who are directly employed by hunts time to find new work.

"I don't deny that there will be problems for individuals but I think we are being extremely reasonable given the opposition to hunting."

A spokesman at Pembroke Dock police station said the demonstration was peaceful and caused minimal disruption to traffic.