Animal-rights protesters in Essex have been targeting local shops trying to raise awareness about the fur-trade.

Bonnie and Clyde, Virgo, on Brentwood High Street and Lucy's Boutique on Ongar Road are two of the shops activists are focusing on. Marcia Hagon, one of the protesters, from Romford, said: "We are about raising awareness of the fur trade but we also demonstrate outside restaurants that sell unethical food like foie gras. We just think it is wrong that they are making money out of the suffering of others."

Three anti-fur protesters were arrested on Tuesday(29th) outside Bonnie and Clyde in Brentwood for altercation. They were dealt a section 5 but were not charged. A woman had come out of Bonnie and Clyde's and assaulted one of the protesters. When the police arrived the woman lied, pretending she was the one that had been assaulted. The protester who had been attacked then got arrested for a short stint until the CCTV footage got reviewed and it became apparent who was playing Pinocchio in this tale. The other two protesters got arrested for verbally losing their cool as the police were arresting the wrong person, they were served with section 5 fixed penalty notices.

The second targeted shop, Lucy's Boutique belongs to a soon to be a z-list celebrity, Lucy Mecklenburgh, famous for the probably absolutely crap programme “Only Way is Essex”. Lucy denied fur being sold in the shop and then pulled the big guns out when it came to debating with anti-fur demonstrators who were told by the celebrity “to get a job”. Well after that mind blowing retort the protesters nearly packed up and went home as they didn't stand a chance with this intellectual genius, but after a moment's thought the protesters carried on protesting regardless. About eight protesters descended on the store last Tuesday (22nd) as part of a series of protests the protesters have planned.

The group have spent time and effort researching which stores deal in fur products before springing up on their door-step to protest and believe Lucy's Boutique does in fact deal in garments of death for the sake of vanity. The protesters plan to continue with these protests until cruelty-free alternatives are found. Essex Animal Defenders, consisting of around 30 members at the moment, have been involved in a number of different animal related campaigns including Cheale Meats, the Warley slaughterhouse where covert footage picked up two workers abusing pigs.

For more information, updates or to get involved check www.essexanimaldefenders.co.uk