Hundreds of people gathered around Wymondham's Market Place today for the annual Boxing Day hunt.

Around 20 riders and a pack of 15 hounds from the Dunston Harriers were greeted by a large crowd as they entered the town centre at about 11am this morning for the annual tradition.

However, despite the glorious sunshine, officials called off the hunt because of the wet and soggy ground on the route they were planning to follow.

Nigel Bloom, joint master of the Dunston Harriers, said they did not want to upset the hospitality of the farmers that allow them to run on farmland by churning up the ground.

He added that he was pleased with the support for the Boxing Day hunt.

'We are one of East Anglia's smaller hunts, but we have a very good and loyal following. We have very good local rural support and we rely on that. Our numbers are as healthy since the ban as before the ban,' he said.

The Dunston Harriers, which has its kennels based at Wacton, near Long Stratton, hunt in a 50 square mile area of south Norfolk and meet two days a week between September and March.

Since the hunting ban, they use a form of trail hunting using a quad bike.