ANTI-CRUELTY campaigners dressed up as a blood- splattered butcher and a chicken to enact a slaughter outside one of the region's busiest McDonald's restaurants yesterday.

The Newcastle Animal Rights coalition was trying to persuade McDonald's customers to make a resolution to turn to vegetarianism in the new year.

The mock butcher, who was dressed in bloody white overalls and brandishing a knife, acted out killing the chicken outside McDonald's, in Northumberland Street, Newcastle, in an attempt to convert meat-eaters.

Activist Louise Stevenson said they had a good reaction from the public to the demonstration.

She said: "We got the odd nasty comment but most people were absolutely fine.

"Years ago people used to be arrested and things like that outside McDonald's in demonstrations like this, but that doesn't happen any more. They know we are doing nothing illegal.