THE Boxing Day hunt meet in Gargrave this year will be followed by a close inspection of the village green.

While acknowledging the popularity of the meet, which is generally attended by about 500 people, Gargrave Parish Council agreed to review the £60 annual donation paid by the Pendle Forest and Craven Hunt.

Councillors also agreed to inspect the green following the meet, to make sure the hunt cleared it up sufficiently afterwards.

A meeting of the parish council heard that the hunt had had its Boxing Day meet in Gargrave as long as most members could remember.

Cllr Chris Hoskin however said he believed it was time to review the £60 given by the hunt, paid annually towards the cost of the village Christmas lights, commenting that it seemed 'a very small amount'.

Council chair, Stephen Coetzer, said the Boxing Day meet had always taken place in the 24 years he had lived in the village, and people looked forward to it; but he agreed to a review of the green after this year's event to see if it had been cleaned up sufficiently, with the possibility of asking for a larger donation. 

The meeting heard from Cllr Alan Sutcliffe however that there had been no hunt for the previous seven weeks because heavy rain had left the fields used by the hunt too wet to be used.