Hereford lion and tiger act cancelled after protest

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A lion tamer's big cats act has been cancelled after protests by animal rights campaigners.

Thomas Chipperfield's An Evening with Lions and Tigers had been due to perform at Herefordshire Country Fair on 2 August.

Mr Chipperfield said his act was not cruel and raised awareness of the plight of lions and tigers in the wild.

However, a 12,000 signature petition prompted Herefordshire Council to back out of the arrangement.

The council said the controversy associated with the act would "detract from the event's charitable work".

Mr Chipperfield, the UK's only lion tamer, has already had his act cancelled at venues in Scotland and Wales following protests.

'Outdated circus tricks'

Fleur Dawes, from pressure group Animal Defenders International, which started the petition, said she was "very pleased at the phenomenal response we've had, which reflects the public support for a ban on wild animal acts".

But Mr Chipperfield claimed activists "use any means necessary" to get shows cancelled, including abusive messages and threatening telephone calls.

"Organisers get harassed by those opposed to what we do. They don't think people should have their own point of view, they think, 'everyone should agree with us'".

"What we are doing isn't actually a circus. It's animals in a show - it's educational," he said.

Adam Roberts, chief executive of the Born Free Foundation, said: "The big cats in question have been hauled around the whole of the UK and Ireland for the sole purpose of performing outdated circus tricks for paying audiences."

Following a government consultation in 2012, ministers announced they would develop a policy to achieve a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.