Three hundred pleas to support the retention of the 2004 Hunting Act have been made to MP Simon Hart.

The requests to the Conservative Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP have been made on postcards delivered to him at his Whitland constituency office by West Wales Animal Aid.

Mr Hart is a former chief executive of the Countryside Alliance and a previous Master of the South Pembrokeshire Hunt. A further 100 postcards from visitors to the area showed their concern about his support for blood-sports.

“This is a small part of a much larger campaign running throughout England and Wales, where all MPs are being made of the vast majority’s views,” said West Wales Animal Aid chairman, David Petersen.

“If the Hunting Act is repealed, foxes, deer and hares will all be hunted and killed legally in Britain once again, and the notoriously cruel ‘sport’ of hare coursing will also remain.

“Repealing the Hunting Act would be a tragic backward step for a civilised society.”

Mr Hart personally received the postcards from Animal Aid members on Friday, and commented afterwards: “While I have no problem with animal rights activists coming to see me, their visit does not alter my view that the Hunting Act is a bad law.

“It ignores all the available animal welfare evidence and was yet another example of intrusion into our private lives by the former government. I remain committed to repealing this law when parliamentary time allows.”