Judge Lower said: "The comments made by Mr Carter do him no credit.

"They were boorish, offensive, distasteful and I imagine they caused a degree of upset regardless of what Mr Carter may have thought when asked to reflect on his behaviour in interview with the police.

"However I must put that to one side."

Mr Carter was initially charged with causing harassment, alarm or distress to Mrs Hoggard but the charge was discontinued in a previous hearing last month.

He and Mr Milburn faced two charges of illegally hunting foxes in contravention of Schedule One of the Hunting Act 2004.

To have contravened the act the huntsmen would have needed to intentionally be hunting the foxes and Judge Lower said there was nothing in the prosecution case that suggested they had set the hounds on the fox.

Judge Lower said: "It is not the dogs who are on trial, they never will be. The dogs were doing what dogs do if they see a wild animal - they chase it and that has been happening for time immemorial."

After making his successful application to have the trial thrown out, Stephen Welford, for Carter and Milburn, said after the case: "After some consideration they will be making no comment."