Campaigners took to the streets of Cardiff on Saturday to launch the Wales leg of its campaign calling on Welsh and English national park authorities to end fox hunting on their land.

The campaign, launched by national charity League Against Cruel Sports, calls on the 13 national parks authorities, including those which manage Bannau Brycheiniog, to do everything in their power to stop hunts chasing and killing foxes.

It comes after a hunting season in which nearly 1,000 incidents related to suspected illegal hunting, or havoc caused by hunts and their followers, were recorded by the League across England and Wales.

John Petrie, senior campaigns manager for the League Against Cruel Sports, was in Cardiff alongside volunteers to launch the campaign.

He said: “It’s time for change. Hunts are still marauding around our national parks despite the fox hunting ban, so it’s time to end this brutal activity once and for all.

“National parks have a responsibility to protect wildlife and preserve nature from the harm that fox hunts cause on their, and the people we spoke to today are willing them on to end this barbaric cruel ‘sport’.”

At least nine fox hunts are still operating across national parks in Wales.

Campaigners called on the national park authorities to end fox or ‘trail’ hunting on the land they own and manage, and show leadership and work with landowners and land managers – who own or manage much of the national parks land – to deny fox hunts access to their land.

The campaign is backed by the Time for Change Coalition Against Hunting representing more than 30 organisations including the RSPCA. It is one of the largest single-issue coalition of charities ever assembled in the UK and is united in calling on the next UK Government to strengthen hunting laws.

Mr Petrie added: “The vast majority of the Welsh public want to see a real end to fox hunting, and denying hunts access to the land where they operate will be crucial in achieving that.

“Today’s event was part of a wider national campaign to strengthen hunting laws in England and Wales and finally consign fox hunting to the dustbin of history where it belongs.”

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority has been approached for comment.