ANIMAL rights campaigners have vowed to continue protesting outside a Worcester city centre shop that sells fur - despite upsetting the store's staff with heated verbal exchanges.

Employees from the High Street store, Madeleine Ann, claim the abuse they have suffered has been terrifying.

They have defended the shop's sale of fur - saying it is limited rabbit fur trim on the cuffs and collars of coats.

One employee, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, added the store had never sold full-length fur items.

"One of the girls had some flowers delivered from her husband and she was told by a protester that they would look good on her grave and hoped that she would die a terrible death," she said.

"We just work here, we don't kill the animals. There's not an abattoir at the back."

She added that customers were being frightened off from going in to the shop because of the protesters.

"When you have people standing either side of the door shouting abuse, then it would put people off from coming in," she said.

"This is not peaceful behaviour, it is threats to staff."

Catherine Harwood, who was one of the protesters outside the shop during the most recent demonstration on Valentine's Day, defended their action and claimed the shop's workers also make derogatory comments.

"One lady overheard one shop worker say 'Those are the people who bomb people'," she said.

"Those types of comments, from both sides, are not acceptable."

Ms Harwood said it was irrelevant the store only sold coats with fur trims and not full-length fur coats.

"They still kill the animal to get the trim," she added.

"In fact, this is the fur industry's way of making fur acceptable."

She said the demonstrators did not plan to protest on any set days, but vowed to continue their campaign.

A police spokesman said the Valentine's Day protest was monitored both by officers on the ground and through CCTV and they did not receive any formal complaints.

"Protesters are entitled to demonstrate verbally, as long as they are not considered to have breached any laws under the relevant Acts in terms of threatening words and or behaviour or harassing members of the public," said a police spokesman.

"If we receive formal complaints about any of the protesters' behaviour we will investigate accordingly."