DESPITE torrential rain, animal rights protesters demonstrated outside a Ryedale theme park yesterday.

For the second time this year members of Captive Animal Protection Society (CAPS) targeted visitors arriving at Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton to tell them of their concerns about zoo animals.

Group leader Sarah Brown said: "We have got a larger group this time.

"People have turned up to support us, but we are getting a mixed reaction from the people going into Flamingo Land."

August Bank Holiday had been chosen for the demonstration because it was one of the busiest days of the year for the park.

Flamingo Land zoo is among the country's largest privately owned zoos. Spokeswoman Melanie Wood said that when people visited the zoo they immediately realised the animals shown in leaflets given out by the demonstrators were not those at Flamingo Land.

PICTURE: ANIMALS THEME: Animals rights protesters

outside the entrance to the Flamingo Land theme park at Kirby Misperton