The High Court has ruled against a legal bid to prevent the ban on hunting taking effect.

Lawyers for the Countryside Alliance had been seeking to block the controversial law.

But Douglas Bachelor, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said the decision was "a great day for justice".

He said February 18, when the ban is now likely to take effect would be "a very important day for us and a very important day for British wildlife".

"It will be freed from the persecution that goes with these ghastly bloodsports."

The Countryside Alliance said it was disappointed by the ruling but hadn't expected to win this round of its legal challenge.

According to the campaign group, the ban could have a damaging effect on thousands of livelihoods.

Its case rested on a claim that the Parliament Act 1949, which was used to force the anti-hunting legislation onto the statute book against the opposition of peers, was itself invalid because it was never passed by the House of Lords.

That claim was rejected by Lord Justice Maurice Kay, who was sitting with Mr Justice Collins.

However, the judgement accepted that "this legislation concerns great controversy, not only in parliament but in the country".

A ruling in favour of the Countryside Alliance would have had significant constitutional implications.

Simon Hart, chief executive of the Alliance, said there were "no surprises" in the judgement and pledged to appeal the ruling.

"There was plenty of stuff in there which leads us to remain perfectly confident in our chances in the court of appeal," he said.

"We are not in the business of grasping at straws, these are important constitutional points."

A separate challenge to the law on human rights grounds will go ahead.

Alliance president Baroness Mallalieu said there had been a "thumbs up" from the judge to press ahead with that challenge.