ANIMAL rights demonstrators protested outside Blackpool Zoo on Monday, shouting to drivers and passers-by in an attempt to stop them going in.

Around 20 protesters, including children aged 13-16, waved banners and handed out leaflets outside the zoo on the bank holiday -- the latest event in a continuing campaign by Blackpool Youth Animal Rights Campaigners to persuade the public not to go into the zoo.

One driver who was visiting the zoo with his young family told The Citizen: "There were about ten protesters when we got there. They were saying 'Boycott zoos, animal prisons'.

"They were standing there with their banner. They had a table and they were handing leaflets out. They were trying to stop us but we just drove past." Before the demo, protesters said they would be politely asking the paying public "not to support the misery these animals suffer".

And yesterday (Wednesday) spokesman Jennie Parsons said she considered the protest had been "a success".

She said: "We had about 20 people outside the gates and we had banners and leaflets demonstrating that we believe it's morally unacceptable to keep animals captive."

Jennie Parsons said the group could not accept arguments that the zoo has an educational purpose because the animals were not in their natural environment and therefore not behaving naturally.

She admitted protesters had received abuse from some car drivers, but said "one or two" cars had decided to turn back, and that several people had said they agreed with the protesters.

Blackpool Borough Councillor Roy Lewis, whose regeneration and tourism portfolio includes Blackpool Zoo, said the zoo's bank holiday success had in fact showed public support for the work being done there.

Around 4,500 people visited the attraction on the bank holiday, he said. "That's our biggest bank holiday number of visitors and the most successful day on the bank holiday for many years."

He added: "We are proud of the work that's done in the zoo with the animals. It's perfectly okay for people to hold strong views about this but the vast majority of people realise the education and conservation purposes the zoo exists for."