A masked man arrested while "monitoring" a Surrey Union Hunt has been fined.

David Marriott, 18, was among a group of anti-hunt protesters who stormed a trail hunt in Leigh on February 28.

He was arrested after an officer demanded he remove his facial coverings and he refused.

Marriott, of no fixed abode, appeared at Redhill Magistrates Court for a two-day trial which started on Thursday.

He had pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to identify himself to police by removing a black hood and scarf.

Paul Lund, prosecuting, said police had been dispatched following a recent spate of disruptions to hunts in Mole Valley.

They found Marriott among a 17-strong group who had forced themselves onto private land owned by Surrey Union Hunt master Ian Gilchrist.

Mr Lund played court evidence from a video tape which showed anti-hunt demonstrators arriving in a Land Rover and blue minibus.

Some were wearing camouflaged clothing and donned black hooded tops and trousers and had concealed their faces.

The video later showed scuffles among police and anti-hunt members who had pushed their way through a gate and trespassed.

Despite being told to leave the land and remove his facial coverings, Marriott refused.

The court heard evidence from Sergeant Alan Sproston of Surrey Police who said the arrest was part of Operation Scarlet, introduced after a spate of public disorder acts at recent trail hunts.

He described the group as hunt saboteurs and said they were carrying whips, horns and sprays intended to disrupt the hunt.

He said some were even wearing t-shirts with the words 'hunt saboteur'.

The court then heard from Inspector Michael Dodds who authorised the order requiring all protesters to remove facial coverings.

He said: "I felt the only reason they were disguising their features was to go beyond simply monitoring the hunt and to actually sabotage it and commit offences."

Tom Wainwright, defending, said Marriott had not removed his mask because he had not heard the order.

He said Marriott had disguised his face because he was afraid pro-hunt supporters would identify him by posting his photograph on a website containing a gallery of known hunt saboteurs.

Mr Wainwright said the European Convention on Human Rights had been ignored when the order was given to remove his clothing.

Magistrates found Marriott guilty and ordered he pay a £100 fine, £400 costs and a £15 surcharge.