Prince William gets his hunting in

PRINCE William went fox hunting yesterday, just six weeks before the ban on hunting with hounds comes into effect in England and Wales.

The prince joined the Beaufort Hunt, which is based near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, close to the Highgrove home of his father, the Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles and his sons, William and Harry, have frequently hunted with the Beaufort, which is also occasionally joined by the Princess Royal.

William’s friend Luke Tomlinson, an England polo star, has also hunted with the Beaufort in the past.

The prince arrived at about 11am for the meet and was hunting for around three hours, riding until the early afternoon. He was joined by about 80 members of the Beaufort on horseback, with more than 50 cars following behind the hunt.

Jo Aldridge, a spokeswoman for the hunt, said: "I can confirm Prince William joined us for the meet today."

The bill to ban hunting was forced through parliament in November last year, after a long-running battle between the House of Commons and House of Lords.

The ban is due to come into effect on 18 February. However, pro-hunting groups have warned that civil disobedience could follow if the bill becomes law.