“I have to say, i have taken my kids to The British circus when it has come here but i have to admit, i did always have a bad feeling in my gut about it, and now after seeing the footage i wont be going any more, Russells International circus goes next to Pennells garden centre, we visited that recently, not only was the circus of a much higher standard to the British one, it didnt use animals and the Human acts were very impressive, when i asked my kids what they prefered, they told me they like the all human show best, so from now on we will wait for Russells to come.”

“I would like to point out that 3 people in the video are carrying out the abuse and one of them is the actual elephants so called owner Lars Holscher
"come on telegraph" Only one sacked, do some investagating its all there.”

“That little picture on the right of elephants: "Elephants enjoy the sun in a previous visit to Lincolnshire." Wake up Telegraph and grow a pair! Other news papers seem to be able to do it.”

“Well Mr Lacey has blown it now, i've taken my family to the circus once in 2004 yes they did enjoy it, i myself was'nt that impressed . So it looks like the circus might be out of town for a while now.”

“* Animals are not and should not be treat as property. This applies to human and non-human animals alike.

* The extinction of species is a natural part of evolution.

* Humans are wonderful, talented, creative creatures by themselves, they can consent to being part of a circus, and have more than enough ingenuity to keep circuses going without the 'need' for non-human animal enslavement.

* Banning anything will fail. People need to wake up and use informed choice as a weapon.

I do not visit circuses that use animals for entertainment.”

“So does this mean The Telegraph will STILL print Great British Circus adverts when they're in town?

Such a weak report: "here's the video - here's what Sean says.. (no offence Sean)" What does the Telegraph want to say??? After lampooning us protesters for so long you'd think a little more reaction is in order don't you?

I love the way this 'film' is treated as simply some sort of 'point of view' where no commitment is to be had and no ramifications or follow-up is required. Shame on you Telegraph! I'm actually surprised there's no phone number at the bottom of the article to book circus seats (there normally is) oh yeah it's because they won't be here for 9 months that's why! That 'wonderful little circus' which is the source for so much of your 'reporting' should be condemned and banned from Grimsby.

How can anyone sit there and not feel anything for these animals? or the people who take the time to bring this sort of thing to your attention?”

“Okay, so they say the guy beating the elephants was sacked. Why wasn¿t he chained-up and beaten? Because he has rights! But we are pleased to call those rights ¿human rights¿, we don¿t extend them to animals. We are trained by the media to think of ¿animal rights¿ as being quite a different thing. ¿Animal rights¿ are perceived as the mad ramblings of socially-inept, tree-hugging ¿protesters¿.

But it behoves us, as humans, to ensure that those less evolved than ourselves don¿t suffer at our hands. Even if we don¿t accept that animals are not there to be eaten, surely we can agree that their life and death must be as comfortable and stress-free as possible. If they are giving their lives to feed us, a good life is the least we owe them, isn¿t it?

Well, feeding us is one thing ¿ entertaining us is quite another.

There is a belief that performing animals enjoy the performance ¿ maybe they do ¿ or maybe they just enjoy the rewards they get for jumping through the hoops. Rewards they don¿t get if they don¿t perform. But this video is a stark reminder that all performing animals may only be paraded like freaks at the behest of some candy-floss-covered kids for a few hours a day ¿ what do they do the rest of time?

Well, in the case of these magnificent beasts, it seems they wait in a tent.

The spokesman for the circus may be paid to think that the elephants' accommodation is 'roomy' but it's still just a tent.

In their natural habitat, these noble animals spend up to seventy years roaming over thousands of miles in huge family groups ... so a few square metres of grass under canvas in the company of a couple of strangers is hardly going to feel like home to them.

Yes, in their natural habitat, they are more than likely to fall prey to poachers, so we need to protect them from that ... and a life chained-up in a circus tent and forced to make a fool of yourself on a daily basis may be *better* than dying at the hands of ivory traders ... but it is still not the best we can do for them.

I won¿t patronise circuses that involve animals ¿ but I am genuinely impressed by the ones that don¿t. I remember one circus I saw at the Edinburgh Fringe where all the acrobats performed on motor-bikes. Extraordinary! We are endlessly inventive as a species and we *want* to be entertained ¿ surely, then, there are an infinity of ways that circuses can make a living without enslaving animals.

Clearly beating the animals in our care is unforgivable ¿ but, even if they weren¿t being beaten, could we say for sure that those majestic, intelligent, emotional elephants are happy and fulfilled?

Would you be?”

“Zac thanks for the comment but a few points. The story is about people wanting to ban animals in circuses when maybe not all circuses mistreat there animals and a very good point was made by elector of grimsby saying we do not stop the keeping of dogs and cats by people just because the odd person mis treats them. It is a fact that the natural habitat of animals is being destroyed at an alarming rate so if we do not keep these animals somehow they will dissapear for ever. Maybe zoos are abetter option but there are plenty of protesters about them as well.
The thing is not everybody has the same view about the circus and animals because if they did nobody would go and they still do and the more popular circus is the one with the animals.
Maybe we should ban clowns, im not to keen on them (i wonder if they are mis treated ?)”

“Behave.... What are you saying? We live in a world that is being destroyed, so lets collect animals up, place them in Zoos and circuses to preserve them? Not quite Noahs ark is it! Lets address the problems. Animal cruelty is wrong. If you do not wish your child to be made aware that people do not agree with the circus - dont take them. I am sure the intention of the protestors was to educate, not scare children. Maybe the Adults should explain to the children that making animals "perform" isnt the way forward in the 21st Century. To see these wonderful animals in a Zoo would surely be better, and not at a circus, being made to perform in an "unnatural way" . You are not seeing them act as the animal but as they are "trained" to act. Its time we realised that circuses with animals are no different than when you could walk in to a town centre and watch a bear made to "perform"?”

“You can see the circumstances of the mistreatment!! How can repeatedly hitting an animal with a brush not be seen as mistreatement??? Shocking and damning footage! What more do we need to bring about justice?”