People were today urged to boycott a circus which includes tricks by Britain's last performing bear.

A councillor branded the show - which is set up on farm land near Bingley - upsetting and called for the bear, called Fred, to be handed over to an animal sanctuary.

But the circus denied mistreating the animal, insisting it would remain part of the show.

Bingley Councillor Phylis Pettit said she fully supported a campaign by the Captive Animals Protection Society's campaign to get people to boycott the circus, free Fred and send him to a Canadian sanctuary.

The circus has set up on land at the junction of Cottingley Cliffe Road and Stoney Ridge Road, and Coun Petit said: "I shan't be going and wouldn't think any right minded person who feels the same way would want to go.

"It's okay if people want to clown around but I'm not in favour of circuses involving animals in any shape or form.

"The owners always say they're well looked after but a circus isn't a normal environment for an animal like this - it really upsets me and I just can't bear the thought of animals like this being herded about from one place to another.

"I think it would do the circus owner the world of good in terms of public esteem if they did give the animal up.''

The circus owner, Jeffrey Hoffman, denied a report in a national newspaper today that he was demanding £25,000 before handing over the bear.

Mr Hoffman said the bear was not for sale and never had been. And he angrily denied that Fred was ill-treated.

His wife Eli, also 53, added: "They tried to force our hand and when we wouldn't do what they wanted got nasty about it. I feel terrible about what they have written but it's no surprise we are an easy target.

"We love the bear and there's no way I would part with him for any amount of money."

Diane Westwood, director of the Sussex-based Captive Animals Protection Society, said: "We want the public to boycott this circus and make sure it can't get sites anywhere in the country.

"We've known about Fred for a long time and what we're hoping to do is place him in a sanctuary near Ontario in Canada - it's a fantastic place which looks after a lot of former circus bears.

"We just want to rescue Fred and raise the money, probably several thousand pounds, to get him to Canada.

"We're going to persuade the owner to give him up by getting people to boycott this circus - we're not willing to pay him a penny because all that would do is encourage other owners to do the same.

"A lot of councils have banned circuses with animals on their land and what we've got to do is persuade farmers and other landowners to do the same thing.''

She added: "Bears are extremely intelligent animals and we believe that in his current environment Fred is suffering.

"These animals love the new and exploring but he's not getting much environmental enrichment or stimulation at all for a bear.

"If you look at him in the ring he just looks so sad and lethargic. Bears can live to 30 in the wild but we don't think Fred will make that if he stays where he is now.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.