Campaigners are calling for a ban on trail hunting on National Trust land in Cumbria.

Much of the Lake District is owned by the National Trust, the UK's largest private landowner, and at the next Trust AGM in October, a motion is being put forward which proposes banning trail hunting on all their land.

Although fox hunting was banned in 2004, figures show there are still almost 200 packs participating in “trail hunting”, which sees the scent of a fox artificially laid for hounds to chase.

Last year, according to the Trust, they issued trail hunting licences to six Cumbrian hunts including Blencathra Foxhounds, Coniston Foxhounds, The Eskdale and Ennerdale Foxhounds, Melbreak Foxhounds, North Lonsdale Foxhounds and The Ullswater Foxhounds.

Trust members will receive their voting papers in coming weeks, but a statement released to The Cumberland News, outlined a recent change in the rules for hunts operating on its land.

While the Trust's board is calling on members to vote against the motion to stop trail hunting, the reforms include banning the use of animal-based scents for hounds or beagles to follow. The intention is to reduce the risk of foxes being chased accidentally.

Other changes include the exclusion of terriermen, who the Trust say 'have no purpose on a trail hunt', and probing the track record of each applicant and establishing a consistent charging regime across the trust land.

Michael Thompson of the Blencathra Hunt, a 'fell pack' who hunt on foot, declined to comment until after the trust's AGM on October 21.

The ban on trail foxhunting on Trust land is supported by the League Against Cruel Sports and adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

Mr Fiennes branded them a “sham”.

"These hunts are still killing foxes, hares and stags, and they are being allowed to do so on National Trust land,” he said. “Hunting is despicable, cruel and has no justification in modern Britain."

A statement from the League Against Cruel Sports said evidence clearly shows that hunting activities on trust land are 'cruel, illegal, unauthorised, dangerous to the public, as well as damaging to Sites of Scientific Interest and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"The League hopes that the National Trust will take responsibility for hunting activity on its estates, and do all it can to ensure that the law is upheld.'

The Trust has already come under fire from pro-hunt and countryside campaigners in recent months, after it began publishing details about when and where hunts would be taking place on their land.

It was accused of making it easier for animal rights campaigners to stop them.

Polly Porwin, the Countryside Alliance's head of hunting said there were currently more than 60 hunts that apply for a licence to enable them access to National Trust land, but if the motion carries at the AGM than a number of the hunts may no longer be viable due to a lack of country.

Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner said: "The idea that hunts that operate on National Trust land, many of which have been targeted by animal rights extremists in the past, would have their meets advertised on the National Trust’s website is simply ridiculous.

"Likewise, a requirement to retrain hounds to hunt trails laid with scents no hunts use, for no practical purpose, almost looks like an attempt to make it impossible for hunts to operate on Trust land."