'Fat lady' Clarissa Dickson Wright to be prosecuted over hunting with dogs

The 60-year-old author and chef, former co-star of Two Fat Ladies, is an outspoken supporter of country sports.

She has been accused of attending two events earlier this year at which she took part in hare coursing. The bloodsport, which was banned two years ago, involves the hunting of hares with dogs.

Leading racehorse trainer Sir Mark Prescott, 59, is also alleged to have been at the hunts.

The pair face four charges each of attending events at Nunnington and Amotherby, both in North Yorkshire, on March 2 and 3 and taking part in the illegal sport under a private prosecution brought by the International Fund for Animal Welfare pressure group. If found guilty, they face fines of up to £5,000.

Miss Dickson Wright, a qualified barrister, found fame in 1996 when she joined Jennifer Patterson for the Two Fat Ladies cookery series.

The programmes ended with the death of Miss Patterson eight years ago, but Miss Dickson Wright has remained in the public eye as a figurehead for the Countryside Alliance and on TV in Clarissa and the Countryman.

In 1998, she condemned anti-coursing protesters as the 'fluffy bunny brigade' when she attended the sport's blueriband Waterloo Cup event in Altcar, Lancashire.

She strenuously denied IFAW's allegations yesterday as she toured the UK to promote her autobiography Spilling the Beans - in which she criticises the organisation.

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"I have not been to an illegal coursing event in Yorkshire and I will plead not guilty," she said.

Sir Mark, who has trained more than 1,200 winners since 1970, is based at Heath House in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Hare coursing and other forms of hunting with hounds were banned under the 2004 Hunting Act. Details of the allegations emerged on Monday at Scarborough Magistrates' Court, where five defendants, including former champion racehorse trainer Peter Easterby, 78, faced charges relating to hare coursing in March this year.

The case was adjourned until November 19. It was not clear whether the allegations - which are being brought to court by the Crown Prosecution Service - were connected with those against Miss Dickson Wright and Sir Mark, who are due to enter a plea on November 9.

A CPS source said: "Generally speaking, private prosecutions are brought after the CPS has made a decision not to prosecute the case."