Topless animal rights campaigners took to the streets of Blackpool town centre this afternoon to make their point.

The naked runners, campaigners from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) group, were trying to recruit people to join in their alternative to Pamplona's annual bull running festival.

The Running of the Nudes, which takes place on the same route as the bull run on July 5 this year, has grown in popularity since it started in 2002, and last year over a 1,000 people from 30 countries took part.

Lauren Bowey, the campaign co-ordinator, said: "It's quite a reaction from Blackpool, we've not really had anything to this extent anywhere else we've been.

"We chose to come to Blackpool (one of 14 towns in the UK visited) because it comes across as a fun and festive town, that would take kindly to this kind of idea.

"With the beaches around here you would think people are used to seeing people in bikini's."

Shoppers on Bank Hey Street were shocked as the three protestors, wearing only knickers and a cardboard sign strapped across their chest, made their point, with the police watching on.

Lauren continued: "This is just a cheeky way of getting attention to the cause we are promoting. The running of the nudes is a fun and festive alternative to the cruelty of the bull festival. We appeal to all Brits and Europeans to consider their holiday chooses in Spain, and to avoid these barbaric events."