Animal rights activists are urging people to sign a petition asking Waltham Forest Council to ban the sale of animal fur throughout the borough.

Waltham Forest Animal Protection spoke to visitors at last weekend’s vegan market in Walthamstow High Street urging them to get behind their ethical campaign.

Although fur farms were banned in the UK in 2003, it is still legal to import the fur of coyotes, foxes and raccoon dogs from overseas.

One anti-fur campaigner, who gave her name as K-Star, said: “The majority of the public disapproves of the selling of fur and the immense cruelty involved.

“I am disgusted to see cheap unlabelled and mislabelled fur, such as that from domestic cats and dogs, being sold in Walthamstow market and in local shops, some of which has been illegally imported.”

Rachel Barrat of Waltham Forest Animal Protection said Walthamstow Market, the longest of its kind in Europe, should follow the lead of Camden and Spitalfields markets, which stopped the sale of animal fur.

Ms Barrat added: “We therefore ask Waltham Forest councillors to follow suit and do the humane thing and ban the sale of all fur from the borough.”

So far, more than 44,000 people have signed the online petition, 4,000 of whom are from the UK.

Fellow campaigner Mark Dawes added: “Both London Fashion Week and Burberry have recently announced they will be going fur free due to public pressure.

“I urge everyone to sign the petition to make Waltham Forest fur free and help end this vile and cruel industry.”

To sign the petition, click here.