THE Conservatives are trying to turn rural Wales into "killing fields" again by pledging to repeal the law which outlaws fox hunting, says Welsh Labour AM for Wrexham Lesley Griffiths, who made her remarks in a statement of opinion she has tabled in the Assembly.

Ms Griffiths has tabled her statement to mark the fourth anniversary of the Hunting Act, which came into force on February 18, 2005.

In the statement, she condemns the Repeal Committee, tasked with guiding the campaign for the repeal of the Hunting Act, describing it as a Tory-led group that wants to overturn the Hunting Act 2004 and reintroduce hunting with dogs into the Welsh countryside.

Commenting on her statement of opinion, Lesley Griffiths said: "By working to repeal the Hunting Act, David Cameron's Tories are showing just how out of touch they are with the concerns of the people of Wales.

"At a time when the global economy is having an effect on households all over the country, the Tories are more interested in reintroducing the barbaric bloodsport of fox hunting into the Welsh countryside.

"Tory obsession with repealing the act is important because it tells the people of Wales all they need to know about David Cameron's priorities.

"Conservatives have a 'do nothing' approach on tackling the big economic issues, yet when it comes to turning rural Wales back into killing fields for foxes, they commit a shadow minister to lead the campaign.

"I call on Welsh Conservatives to distance themselves from the shameful self-indulgence of wanting to reintroduce fox hunting and instead focus on the real issues facing the Welsh people."

Chief executive of the Countryside Alliance Simon Hart (pictured) stressed the Repeal Committee consisted of a wide range of interests — including the All Party Middle Way Group — with the Countryside Alliance acting as secretariat.

He said the Alliance was headed by a Labour MP, Kate Hoey, and a Labour peer, Ann Mallalieu, who sat on the committee, with Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik.

He added: "Wales is in the depth of a recession, with families worried about their futures.

"Yet, against this background of uncertainty, Labour still thinks it is worth adding to the 700 hours they have already spent on this subject.

"I cannot believe the voters of Wrexham, or those in Wales as a whole, think this is what they are paying their Assembly members to spend their time on.

"As the Welsh Conservative candidate for Carmarthen West, my intention is to hold Labour to account and to deal with the severe economic hardship that has resulted from 11 years of this Government, not indulge in spiteful and irrelevant battles with AMs with, it seems, too much time on their hands."