A group of animal rights activists protested outside a circus near Romford on Tuesday.

The small demonstration was held due to the presence of the Great British Circus’ performance of Black Beauty in Whalebone Lane North, Chadwell Heath.

Protester Nicola Olckers, 34, said: “The life of an animal in the circus is miserable. It’s your fun for their misery. They are kept in cages all the time and the only time they are let out is when they are performing.”

The Buckhurst Hill resident - among six who turned out – said that bigger protests were planned during the rest of the circus’ run in the area.

She added: “We’re against any animals being used in circuses, but having tigers there is just awful.

“They have to perform degrading ticks and are constantly transported from place-to-place.”

But circus director Martin Lacey, 69, said: “The tigers in my show are the tenth generation to perform.

“They come from a zoological background where they were surplus to requirements and would have been destroyed if they hadn’t been bought.”

He added: “It’s clear we’re not cruel to Tigers as it is in their nature that they would kill us if we were.

“We travel around the country which means we have about 30 inspections a year from each council that we visit. People should listen to the experts rather than animal rights protesters.

“We’ve been coming here for about 20 years and the good people of Romford support us and vote with their feet.”