HOAXERS who sent a package containing death threats and white powder to Blackpool Zoo have still not been traced.

And the powder, which is thought to be harmless, has still not been identified.

The package was sent to the zoo in the week before Christmas but was spotted by a member of staff and isolated before being handled by other zoo staff.

The package contained a letter stating "death to the west" along with a suspicious white substance. A special police unit removed the parcel for detailed examinations and further tests.

Zoo spokesman Tony Williams said that police were quite sure it was a hoax and he believed that animal rights groups were probably responsible.

"We struggled to understand why someone would send it to the zoo. It was addressed to the zoo, not an individual, so it's somebody with a grudge against the zoo. The only people we can think that have any reason to do this are animal rights protestors.

"We think the people behind this are extremely irresponsible and need to be dealt with severely by the courts.

"It's disgraceful they should stoop so low. It's outrageous that the animal rights organisations hide behind a facade of respectability whilst carrying out acts like this that are nothing less than blatant terrorism," he said.

He said staff had been shaken by the hoax: "Although it was a hoax it was still quite terrifying. You don't expect things like that to happen.

"It was a bit of a shock when we received it and the seriousness of it started to dawn shortly afterwards. It was scary to think we could have been handling anthrax just before Christmas."

Zoo staff and keepers have received several intimidating threats from animal rights liberation groups in the past but Mr Williams said the latest attack was "particularly evil"

PC Brian Doyle of the crime management unit at Blackpool Police said: "We are just waiting on results of fingerprinting and DNA from forensics but at this stage there are no developments. Inquiries are ongoing."