A huntsman who became the first person to be convicted twice under the ban on hunting has dropped a planned appeal against his latest conviction.

Richard Down, the huntsman with the Quantock Staghounds, was convicted in November last year of illegally hunting a stag in Somerset back in September 2009.

It was the second time he'd been successfully prosecuted following video evidence captured under cover by monitors for the League Against Cruel Sports. Mr Down was fined £2,920 by magistrates in Taunton, and later appealed.

But now, the huntsman has dropped his appeal and the conviction stands.

Anti-hunt groups said they were "pleased" Mr Down had "seen sense".

The chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, Douglas Batchelor, said: "The Hunting Act is very clear, and Mr Down clearly breached it. The court thought so and convicted him in November, it's now clear he thinks so too."