Sir - The American backed People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has attacked the proposed chicken farm at Upton Snodsbury ( Worcester News 9th June).

They claim to have an online petition with over twenty six thound signatures against the project. This appeal is based purely on the dubious motive of animal rights rather than a serious debate over rural planning.

The petition is also suspect as it represents possibly ten times more people than actually live in the whole parish. Figures from the Virginia State Agriculture Department in the USA show PETA has put down over thirty one thousand pets there.

The carcasses of these animals, described by PETA as "perfect" and "adorable" were then just dumped in supermarket skips. Apart from Britain and the USA, PETA has affiliated organisations in Germany, Holland, India, Australia and the Far East. With PETA getting away with such horrendous activities in one small State in America what is their world wide total for euthanised pets?

The application to build a chicken farm on a small plot of agricultural land is reasonable but the rhetoric coming from PETA shows it has just lost the plot.

Jon Burgess

Worcester