"The days of lobbying and marches are gone. You will find major confrontational events in the medium term," Peter Gent told Reuters on Thursday. He is a director of the Countryside Action Network (CAN) which he describes as a 3,000 strong group dedicated to direct action.

Fox-hunting is denounced as a barbaric blood sport by its opponents but defended as an essential part of Britain's rural heritage by its supporters, who say a ban would infringe their civil rights and abolish a valid way of controlling foxes.

Gent said that a document is being circulated at "the highest levels" of the hunting fraternity which sets out plans for direct action.

A target could be the Labour party's conference in Brighton later this month.

"I expect we will be going to that, and there might be something going on," said Andrew Vernon, who was injured in Wednesday's protest. "If police show violence to us, we will give it back to them."

Protestors promise that if made illegal hunts would still continue, but in a way which would be impossible to police.

In Scotland, where hunting with dogs is already banned, the practise still continues by exploiting loopholes in the law, hunters said. Dogs can still be kept and foxes can still be hunted, but they must be killed by being shot.

Dog handlers could also cause trouble by refusing to take rural animal corpses for incineration. Around half the countryside's incinerators are at kennels, according to the CAN.

The Countryside Alliance, which has organised many of the demonstrations over the last few years, has spoken out against the protest in parliament.

"I condemn these lawless activities which are selfish and self indulgent," said the group's chairman, John Jackson.

Jackson said that such actions only harm the pro hunting cause. Police were holding the eight parliament intruders on Thursday as parliamentary and security officials began investigations into the breach.