An animal rights group could hire bodyguards to protect hunt saboteurs because it fears violence against them is escalating.

Anti-hunt campaigners in Sussex could be among the first in Britain to be given minders by the League Against Cruel Sports following an incident at a meeting of the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray Hunt when an activist was trampled by a galloping horse.

Simon Wild, who lives at Bognor, said he was grabbed by a huntsman and pulled along the ground before being dropped in the path of another horse. He escaped with bruising.

The incident at Midhurst was filmed by Mr Wild's wife Jaine, who is also a leading member of the West Sussex Wildlife Protection Group which has targeted the hunt for many years.

Douglas Batchelor, chief executive of the league, said violence towards protesters has been at its most acute in the South-East.

He said: "The employment of security firms has become a necessary possibility."

Mr Wild said: "It will be purely to show the hunt that we have protection and they had better be careful."

The huntsman involved in the incident said he acted in self defence because a type of firework designed to scare birds was about to be thrown at his horse.

Mr Wild denied the allegation, saying he wouldn't cause an animal distress.

A spokeswoman for the Chiddingfold hunt said it was the hunt which needed protection from violence and saboteurs trespassing on private land.

She said: "It is up to the Government to make the decision as to whether hunting should continue or not.

"If the saboteurs did stick to just protesting there would not be any violence at all."