Sheep racing event in North Yorkshire could be banned due to petition

If cancelled, the sheep racing event will be the third throughout the UK to be banned in recent months
If cancelled, the sheep racing event will be the third throughout the UK to be banned in recent months

Animal rights activists have again set up an online petition calling for the ban on a traditional sheep racing event, this time in North Yorkshire.

The online petition calls for sheep racing at Masham Sheep Fair, which has ran for 30 years, to be banned.

The event raises money for local charities, with this year's going to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The campaign, which has attracted more than 60,000 signatures, claims the racing is "unnatural, exploitative... and frightening."

Petition organiser Lambentations' Samantha Francis said "using animals for entertainment is exploitative".

She said she only became aware of the annual event this year.

It follows the cancellations of the Wooditton, Newmarket sheep race and the Llandovery Sheep Festival in Carmarthenshire.

Some social media users have criticised the petitions.

One user, Tractorman, said: "Oh my god. The spoilsports are out again. What idiots."

User Kay said: "Put the show back on, there are too many do gooders in this county who have nothing better to do than complain about everything. I loved the sheep racing when I was little. It would be more helpful if the 46,399 people had signed a petition against sheep worrying and vowed to keep all their dogs on leads."