The prospect of the hunting ban being repealed took a blow last night with suggestions the Conservative pledge to give MPs a free vote on the matter had been shelved indefinitely.

The Daily Mail reported it was almost certainly not going to take place before the next General Election in 2015 amid fears that it would be lost.

In the run-up to the election David Cameron pledged MPs would be given a free vote on whether to repeal Labour's controversial ban, which he described as a 'bad piece of legislation'. It was included in the coalition agreement with the Liberal Democrats, although an immediate vote was always unlikely because of the pressing need to deal with the economic crisis.

But now, according to the national newspaper, the vote has been shelved indefinitely, amid growing concern among hunt supporters that they may not have the Parliamentary numbers to win. The Tory 1922 committee, which represents backbenchers, has advised members not to try and push through a vote independently.

A pro-hunting source said the balance of support for hunting in the Commons was now 'too close to call'.