A CIRCUS boss has hit back at animal rights campaigners who have been protesting outside his show.

Protesters from Malvern have been picketing Jolly's Circus, currently encamped at Monksfield Farm car boot site on Worcester Road, between Malvern and Powick. They plan to return over the weekend.

"We're not against circuses," said Worcestershire Animal Rights Coalition spokeswoman Helen Turner. "We're not against people having fun, but it should be performers only, not animals."

She said concerns over conditions in which circus animals are kept and the lack of legislation protecting them from ill treatment had motivated the protests.

However, circus partner Peter Jolly said his animals were not badly treated.

"Our horses do about five minutes' work a day," he said.

Mr Jolly said that in some of the places they perform, children who come to the circus have never seen real horses before. He said his animals do not have to confront criminals, as police dogs do, or complete arduous courses of jumps, as racehorses do.

"I just can't understand their arguments," he said.