A Facebook group and petition have been launched calling for Scotsdales Garden Centre in Cambridgeshire to stop using live reindeer in their Christmas displays, claiming it is cruel and "completely inadequate for their welfare."

The petition, launched by the 'Rein in Cruelty' group, says, "Reindeer naturally roam for miles in the polar region in a herd with an important social structure. Yet Scotsdales Garden Centre are planning on using them as Christmas props, by confiding them to tiny pens surrounded by loud noise, a far cry from their natural habitat...

"Reindeer can feel pain, love, joy and fear just like you, and animals are not ours to exploit for entertainment and this display sense a dangerous message to young children that animals exists merely for our pleasure."

Bosses at Scotsdales have hit back against the claims, saying the reindeer will be well looked after. They added that the two animals in question were due to be culled in their native Scandinavia but were rescued by a British farmer, who brought them to join his herd in Berkshire.

Said marketing manager Becky Owen, "Our lovely reindeer come from Riverways farm in Berkshire, a smallholding owned and run by Andrew Cardy, who rescues reindeer from reindeer culls in Norway and in Iceland. Had they not been rescued by Andrew they would no longer be with us, as they would have been bought for purposes such as providing either meat or their skins.

“Throughout the year they live in a field with access to natural food supplemented by the highest quality specially formulated reindeer feed and are cared for by one of the country’s leading reindeer vets.

“The reindeers’ stay at Scotsdales was undertaken after a thorough understanding of what is involved and a commitment to provide the best possible care for them whilst they are with us. Reindeer are protected and regulated by DEFRA (Department for Environment and Rural Affairs) who insist on the highest standards of care and attention.

“A small team of Scotsdales staff care for the reindeer. They know the reindeer well and visited the reindeer at their home in order to get to know them and to be trained how to look after them. We have built a special enclosure for the reindeer which is 8m long and 4m wide, in consultation with the farmer. This is a large fenced area with straw bedding. The reindeer are walked outside twice a day for half an hour to an hour at a time.”