A TOP designer clothes store in York has backed a campaign by animal rights activists - after they protested outside the shop.

Bosses at Sarah Coggles, in Low Petergate, have pledged to support campaigners from the Northern Animal Rights Network (NARN) after their anti-fur picket.

Members of the group targeted the exclusive clothes store as part of a city-wide campaign against shops that sell fur items.

But Sarah Coggles was praised by the protesters after the store's manager invited them in for a meeting.

Adam Jagger, the company's head of retail, said most of the items at issue were either sheepskin or leather and the firm had donated to anti-cruelty campaigns in the past. He said it did not stock fur coats.

He pledged to back the animal rights battle by selling NARN campaign clothing in the shops.

He said: "We had an interesting and informative chat during which we offered to produce an exclusive range of campaign T-shirts to sell in our Sarah Coggles stores.

"All profits from the sales of the T-shirts will be donated to the campaigners fund."

Protester Sarah Ford, 31, of Haxby, said: "They were very polite and kind to us, which is unusual.

"I do not think the boss was aware of the cruelty involved in fur. They have removed it and said they will not stock any fur items.

"It was something we were totally not expecting whatsoever. It is not something any other shop have offered us. Usually we get told to go away."

The group also waved banners and posters outside Eduardo's Designerwear and ornamental weapons store Whigmaleeries, both in Stonegate, York, during the protests earlier this month.

Sarah said the group identified stores in York that sold products ranging from fur trim on jackets to novelty items including rabbit fur sporrans - the fluffy pouch worn over the front of a Scottish kilt.

The campaigners claimed they won a commitment from bosses at Whigmaleeries that they would stop selling products containing fur.

They also claimed that Eduardo's Designerwear had pledged to remove fur items.

But Serhat Mantici, a shop worker at Eduardo's Designerwear, said the store did not stock real fur, but had removed even its imitation products to placate the protesters.

He said: "They stood outside and started screaming and shouting. We were shocked.

"We said we have not got real fur and even if the fake fur is disturbing them we will take it off. It was silly."

A spokesman for Whigmaleeries said the store had been targeted by protesters, but declined to comment to The Press.