A SMALL band of animal rights protesters gathered outside the Cadogan and James delicatessen in The Square, Winchester, today (Saturday July 26).

They are unhappy that the store, owned by TV celebrity chief James Martin, sells foie gras, a pate made from goose or duck liver after the bird has been deliberately force fed in order to enlarge the liver.

Lisa Smith, dressed up as Wacky the Duck and fellow protester Diane Cooper pretended to force feed Wacky to demonstrate the cruelty of foie gras production.

Other protesters were also asking people to sign a petition call in on Cadogan and James to stop selling the delicacy.

However, one of the staff behind the counter in the store, who would not give his name, said that there were six portions of foie gras left in the shop and after they were sold it would be discontinued. He refused to make any further comment.

Miss Cooper said: "It is great that they (Cadogan and James) are not going to stock foie gras anymore, but they have said that if someone asks for it in the shop they will get it in and that isn't good enough for us. If they are buying it in for people on order they are still selling it."

Protest organiser, Marjorie Pooley, said: "Today's event is part of an ongoing campaign aimed at Cadogan and James in the hope that, knowing the cruelty involved, James Martin will no longer allow the delicatessen to stock the product. He is an excellent delicatessen selling high quality goods, he does not need to profit from foie gras."