Cheshire garden centre giant Bents Garden & Home has come under attack from an animal rights charity, which is accusing the business of cruelty to reindeer.
In common with many garden centres, Bents, of Glazebury, near Warrington, regularly brings the animals in at Christmas to make appearances at festive events.

However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has now written to managing director Matthew Bent, explaining that an environment of noisy shoppers and children and bright lights is entirely unsuitable for reindeer, which would normally avoid contact with people, and that travelling to the centre also subjects them to stress.

The letter from PETA campaign coordinator Kirsty Henderson urges Mr Bent to cancel plans to use the animals in Christmas-themed events, and says: "Using animals as backdrops in public displays is not only cruel but also dangerous, as humans are at risk of injury should the animals run amok."

She goes on: "Using live animals in these sorts of events sends a damaging message to young people that animals are little more than living props. There are many other ways that the people of Cheshire could celebrate the holidays that would be far more in keeping with the Christmas spirit than by treating scared animals like decorations.

"The whole phenomenon of taking reindeer out on the road, putting them in pens and treating them as if they were just Christmas decorations is unacceptable, and we should not be encouraging such an unethical and abusive trend. We don't want our kids to grow up thinking that live animals exist merely for our entertainment."

However, £15m-turnover Bents has defended its use of reindeer to pull in shoppers, saying it takes animal welfare extremely seriously and works closely with the reindeer's breeders to ensure they are cared for while at the centre.

In a statement Mr Bent said: "Whilst at Bents they are only on-site for a limited time during our Festive Family Fun Weekend, have regular breaks and are accompanied at all times by their handlers, within a controlled area. If any animal were to show any sign of distress they would be immediately removed from the site, but this is something we have never experienced.

"We are just one of many venues such as shopping centres and town fairs that are visited by reindeer in the run-up to Christmas and we are aware that other places have been contacted by PETA as well."

The charity has indeed been running an intensive campaign this Christmas, sending letters to other organisations using reindeer at events, concerned by what it sees as growing exploitation of the animals for profit.