A CIRCUS has been branded 'cruel' to animals by one spectator but bosses have defended performances and say the critic is following 'an animal rights agenda'.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, said the animals were 'abused' at Peter Jolly's Circus on the A4440 Broomhall Way in Worcester.

She said she was so appalled by what she saw she left during the interval on Friday, (May 26), as did others, 'many in tears'.

However, circus bosses say they are fully licensed and deny their animals are 'whipped', forced to perform or that they are involved in any of the acts if they are ill, contrary to what the critic has claimed.

A spokesperson for Peter Jolly's Circus also argued such comments incite 'violence towards circus people' who are a 'minority group'.

She said: "It is an animal circus, where you pay to watch the animals be abused. 

"Honestly, we feel violated we spent money to support this cruelty to animals.

"This is the worst circus I have ever been to. The use of animals was appalling - never have I been to a circus that uses animals and the treatment of animals in this way was so upsetting.

"I was appalled, saddened and disgusted to see they had four miniature horses being made to balance on a see-saw, perform on a swing, collect coloured scarves.

"One of the miniature horses was blindfolded.

READ MORE: Peter Jolly's Circus arrives at A4440 Broomhall Way

"Four Lamas and a very sick and sad-looking donkey were all being forced to perform by being whipped and were clearly very underweight. They were being whipped to stand on podiums with their front hooves up whilst donkeys were made to dance around them.

"In addition, six fan tail pigeons all with severe clipping to their wings with flight feathers removed, so severe they couldn’t fly higher than 3 meters off the ground and who were all kept in a tiny crate.

"Following this a full-sized spotty horse was being made to jump through hoops whilst being whipped - the horse did not want to perform and was only doing so as it was being whipped.

"They then brought out a pony - being forced to do tricks, count, shake its head. All whilst being held whilst the man had a whip in his other hand."

A spokesperson for Peter Jolly's Circus said:  "Quite clearly it is apparent from the comments that the person who sent them has an animal rights agenda, whose views are not shared by other members of the public who visit our circus each year.

"All our circus advertising posters and Facebook etc clearly states we are a Traditional Animal Circus.

"We are fully licensed to use performing animals and we undergo rigorous inspections each year, we would at no time use an animal that was ill and at no time are the animals whipped or forced to perform.

"We have travelled for over 50 years and undergo this type of discrimination from individuals many times as we are a minority group, comments like this only incite violence towards the circus people."