 FORMER sports minister Tony Banks last night said he is confident what he described as the "disgusting" Waterloo Cup has seen its final competition. The Labour MP for West Ham spoke out as the 157th Waterloo Cup drew to a close at Great Altcar, near Formby, yesterday, with organisers claiming crowds of 12,000, including TV personality Clarissa Dickson Wright, showed "huge" support for the controversial event. Mr B an ks described the UK's largest hare coursing event as being driven by "blood-lust" and said it will be relegated to the status of badger baiting and cockfighting within the next 18 months. The former opposition whip, Minister for Sport between 1997 and 1999, told the Daily Post he expects a "full and total" ban on hare coursing to be approved by the end of this parliament. Campaigners hope the current Hunting Bill, defeated in the House of Lords last year, will be reintroduced in Parliament and granted royal assent this autumn. Mr Banks said: "I think coursing is absolutely disgusting. We have 112 recognised sports in this country and that is certainly not a sport it is blood-lust. "It wouldn't even be as bad if they would agree to muzzle the dogs, but they won't even agree to that, which just shows that they do enjoy seeing a defenceless animal ripped apart, and frankly I find that obscene." He added: "I do feel reasonably confident that this is the last one, and even if it is not, at worst it is the penulti-mate one. "There's no future for hare coursing. In the end of the day it will all go the same way as all the other blood sports like badger baiting, otter hunting, dog fighting and cock fighting." Liz Mor t, spokeswoman for the Countryside Alliance, retaliated: "Nonsense, he has been saying that for years and here we are again. "As long as coursing is legal, we will continue to have th e Waterloo Cup; this is certainly not the last one. Ms Mort added: "If it is made illegal, then there will be no hares left at Altcar because they will all be shot as pests." Colin Pickthall, Labour MP for West Lancashire, said "I've been opposed to the Waterloo Cup for a long long time. I've introduced four times a bill to prevent it and it has never got anywhere, but now it's been swept up in the general hunting bill. "I think we'll see a ban in the next 12 months. We are looking to see the bill introduced in the next two months". WATERLOO CUP DEATH TOLL >>> | 
News RSS Feed