PRO-HUNTING activists registered their protest in one of the most pungent ways imaginable yesterday when they dumped the rotting bodies of four animals close to the Labour Party conference.

Two men, believed to be farmers, were arrested after they dumped a horse, a cow and two calves outside Brighton station and near the Royal Pavilion.

The animals were found with Countryside Alliance banners nearby, but the alliance later condemned the stunt.

The protest’s aim was to show the number of horses that would have to be put down in the event of a hunt ban, and to emphasise the service provided to farmers by hunts that collect their fallen stock.

But Simon Hart, the chief executive of the alliance, denied any involvement of his organisation in the protest, and described it as inexcusable.

“However disgracefully the Government treats rural people and however provocative the behaviour of John Prescott and other ministers there can be no excuse for this sort of behaviour,” Mr Hart said.

The dumping of the carcasses came before a pro-hunting rally in which 8,000 huntsmen and women and 1,000 working dogs took part.

While protesters made their mark inside the conference during Mr Blair’s speech, 600 riot police outside had to intervene when pro-hunt campaigners clashed with hunt saboteurs, trading insults.

Eggs were hurled at the conference centre and a number of thunder-crackers were released into the crowd. Some in the crowd attempted to agitate the police and were clearly trying to trigger scenes similar to the the riotous behaviour that was seen in Parliament Square this month.

But the more violent protesters were reined-in by the bulk of the crowd and the ranks of policemen bearing protective shields.

At one stage Gerald Kaufman, the prominent anti-hunting Labour MP for Manchester Gorton, was jostled as he walked among the protesters.

One witness said that the former minister looked white and shaken.

But Jenny Yeo, from the East Sussex and Romney Marsh Hunt, said that it was of the MP’s own making.

“He was up for it. He was winding people up in the road, I saw him lash out at one man,” she said.

The three-hour protest was largely peaceful, but there were minor scuffles and police made five arrests.

During the protest senior alliance figures made every effort to keep the crowd calm. Before the protest even began they were afraid that hotheads might engage in unwanted action.

Protesters were told on numerous occasions to keep their cool and to do nothing to damage the cause.

The alliance even tried to inject some fun and glamour into the march: seven huntswomen scantily clad as Bunnygirls walked in high-heels towards the head of the march. Their purpose was to show that hunting rabbits would continue to be allowed, but hunting hares would be illegal in the event of a ban.

The women later stripped on the beach and ran into the sea to highlight the “naked prejudice” they say they see among Labour MPs.

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