A ban on fox hunting has been forced through Britain's parliament, despite vehement objections from the House of Lords, using special powers invoked for only the fourth time in the past half century.
The use of the Parliament Act to overrule the Lords means the centuries-old pursuit will become illegal from February next year, a ban which fox hunters have pledged to oppose through widespread civil disobedience.
Earlier, British MPs backed a compromise move to delay a fox-hunting ban until the end of July 2006.
The amendment was passed by 283 to 132, although it was later rejected by the House of Lords.
