A hunting enthusiast has defended his involvement in the controversial Waterloo Cup hare-coursing event.

The annual event, which started today in Altcar near Liverpool, has been condemned as barbaric by animal rights activists including Sir Paul McCartney.

But Paul Hill, 39, a self-employed electrician of Baildon, who was working as a flanker at the three-day event expected to draw 20,000 spectators, said hare coursing was no crueller than fishing.

"Hares have evolved over time to run and evade capture. What they are doing is natural," he said.

"People are trying to put human emotions to the hare, but it's just doing what comes naturally to it."

Mr Hill's job is to make sure the hare runs straight for the first part of the course. The hare is given a 100-metre start before the dogs are released. The first dog to make the hare turn from its straight path is awarded three points, with further points awarded each time one dog overtakes another. There are no points awarded for a kill.

Mr Hill said that about 80 per cent of hares evade capture, and those caught receive a swift humane end from an official 'dispatcher' who takes the prey from the dogs.

But Heather Holmes, the RSPCA's Yorkshire spokesman, said the sport should be banned. "It's cruel and it is barbaric," she said. "Do we want to belong to a society where people go and watch this type of thing for fun?"

She said post-mortem examinations of five carcasses from an earlier event showed the hares had a slow painful death.

"They all suffered injuries before being killed," Mrs Holmes said.

Bradford MPs said they would support a new anti-hunting bill currently going through the Houses of Parliament.

Gerry Sutcliffe, Labour MP for Bradford South, said: "This is one of the reasons why I will be for a ban on hunting which includes hunting with hounds."

Chris Leslie, Labour MP for Shipley, said: "I'm not in favour of hare coursing or any hunting animals with dogs."