DALES residents wanting to take part in the great countryside protest march on London next month are being asked to register now.

The Liberty and Livelihood March will take place on Sunday, September 22, and coaches are being hired to take protesters to the capital from - as yet - secret starting points.

The reason for the secrecy is that the organisers, the Countryside Alliance, fear that opposition groups like hunt saboteurs will try to disrupt the protest, which is expected to attract at least 250,000 demonstrators and perhaps many more.

The last march two years ago virtually paralysed London and is said to have given the Government a severe jolt in demonstrating just how unpopular it had become in rural areas.

To register, telephone 0900-102-0900 or log onto www.march-info.org