ANIMAL rights protestors handed a 2,000 signature petition calling for a ban on performing circus animals to bosses at Chester-le-Street District Council yesterday.

The North-East Animal Rights Coalition (NEARC) took to the streets of the town in recent weeks to sign shoppers up to its campaign.

Chester-le-Street is one of the few local authorities in the country to yet ban animal circuses from their land. Councillors are expected to review their policy which caused controversy last summer by permitting a circus with animals to perform at the Riverside.

The petition was handed to council leader Malcolm Pratt in the hope that members would vote for an outright ban at Monday's meeting of the executive