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LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Dozens of British clothingbrands, including Topshop and Marks & Spencer, have halted thesourcing of product containing angora wool after an animalrights charity alleged cruelty in the fur extraction process inChina.
Last month, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA) released a video shot in China, the source of themajority of the world's angora fur, showing workers violentlyripping the fur out of rabbits' skin as the animals scream inpain.
It called on consumers to leave jumpers and scarves made outof the fur on retailers' racks.
In response, online fashion retailer ASOS has become thefirst British company to implement a permanent ban and to pullexisting stock of angora from its website.
A raft of other retailers have ceased supplies.
Philip Green's Arcadia group, which owns Topshop, Topman,Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Burton, Outfitand Bhs stores said that having listened to customers "we haveinstructed our suppliers to halt the sourcing of productcontaining angora fibre whilst we investigate alternatives."
Marks & Spencer said its animal welfare policy does notallow for any live plucking and said it believed that was beingadhered to across the angora farms from which it sources.
"We are now carrying out additional visits to these farms tobe absolutely sure that this is the case. Also we will not placeany further orders with our suppliers for products containingangora wool until we have concluded these visits and reviewedthe findings," it said.
Other retailers who have decided to suspend the placing offurther orders for products containing angora include Next,Primark, New Look and Ted Baker.
