A MONKEY expert today blasted the move to send a capuchin monkey at the centre of a court battle into hiding.

American Jim Cronin is the owner of Monkey World in Dorset, where the animal - Joe - was due to be sent after Mary Stanton lost her £3,000 legal battle against Blackburn with Darwen Council's refusal to grant her a dangerous wild animal licence.

But Mary and husband John have hit back at the claims saying the people at Monkey World cannot give a fair opinion because they did not go round to see Joe and how he lived.

While Mary was in court fighting to keep 13-year-old Joe, husband John had him sent away to a secret location to stop the authorities seizing him.

Today council officials were due to call at the couple's home to collect the monkey.

Mr Cronin warned that Joe was dangerous and whoever was hiding him was acting illegally unless they have a licence.

He said: "Joe is dangerous. If he is in inexperienced hands he could take a child's finger off.

"I know a woman who has been crippled for life in both hands because a capuchin monkey bit through her tendons. "I have seen people with terrible facial scars because of a capuchin bite.

"He has canine teeth an inch long. He may look cute, but Joe is a dangerous wild animal."

Jim is determined to track Joe down and move him in with Monkey World's two other capuchins - 38-year-old Arthur who was found in a shed in Yeovil, and Sinbad who was taken from a pet shop in Leigh.

He said: "Sending him away is the most callous act I have seen in 13 years of working with monkeys in 11 different countries. He has been sent away to God knows where.

"She has refused to come and see Joe's new home at Monkey World. She has refused to let him have a family of his own.

"If she really loved Joe she would let him have a family and friends."

Mary said: "How can they say that Joe was mistreated and being abused when they didn't even come round and look at him. All they are going off is one photograph they saw in the court room.

"I wished they would have looked at him. Joe was kept in a big cage and had a big run outside. He was looked after like one of the family. They'll never get to know where he is."

John said he would never send Joe to the animal park after seeing a programme on television six weeks ago, which he said contained scenes of disturbing animal violence in a zoo.