PROTESTERS campaigning for animal rights stationed themselves outside a Bolton circus.

The campaigners, known as the Burnley Animal Rights group, stood outside Circus Mondao with picket signs, to raise awareness of animal cruelty.

The travelling circus is currently on farm land off Hunger Hill, for 11 days and has been coming to Bolton for more than 10 years.

However campaigners claim that animals used in the show, such as reindeers and camels are mistreated.

A spokesman for Burnley Animal Rights group said: "It is animal abuse and cruelty. They take these animals from show to show all year round for nothing more than monetary gain for the people that own the circus.

"People will watch the show and say 'well, they don't look abused' but that's just two hours that they see, what happens to these animals all year round?"

The circus company operates on private land, therefore Bolton Council cannot stop them from coming to town.

Dorothy Jackson and her husband Robert of Herman Bank farm rent their land to Circus Mondao and refute claims that any of the animals are mistreated.

Mrs Jackson said: "There is absolutely no ill treatment that goes on with the animals here. It is my field and I would not allow it. They don't even have many animals.

"It is a very family orientated circus.

"My daughter has been travelling with them for the last 10 years and they are all lovely people."

Mrs Jackson said they do sometimes get protesters when the circus is on but said it is "getting worse".

She added: "It's a shame because they are creating bad publicity for the circus and they work so hard."

A spokesman for Burnley Animal Rights, who stood outside the circus with picket signs reading "This Circus is banned in 32 counties and by 200 local authorities" and "Google circus abuse" said that they had contacted Bolton Council about Circus Mondeo's "illegal leafleting" but had no response.

A spokesman for Bolton Council said: "The council does not have powers to ban a circus which takes place on private land. With regards to leafleting, while we appreciate local residents may not like this, we also do not have the powers to stop businesses leafleting a local area.”

Ringmistress at Circus Mondao, Petra Jackson, said the protestors' claims were unfounded and the circus, which operates from February to November, was licensed and regulated by the Government.

She added: "They say we are banned from 32 countries and more than 200 local authorities, but that is to make people support their cause.

"It is totally untrue that we are banned, we operate on private land.

"It's wrong that they are allowed to say these things to people who are trying to come to the show."