Ref. 72659-42A Swindon singer went back to the Stone Age on Saturday to protest against the fur trade.

Anish Harrison, a student and soul singer, 24, dressed as a cavewoman and stood outside BHS in the town centre persuading shoppers to sign a petition against the UK importing and selling fur.

She certainly managed to attract their attention in a leopard print dress and full-length fake fur coat.

But she said there was a serious message behind her wacky costume. She said: "The fur trade is coming back big time because fur is back in fashion.

"But people have no idea how badly animals are treated just for the sake of making these garments.

"The methods of killing them are very cruel and designed so that the animals fur is not damaged."

And she revealed an alarming trend in trading cat and dog fur.

"The USA has banned the import of cat and dog fur but the UK Government hasn't," she said.

"Much of the fur is mislabelled and people might think they are buying something like mink when actually it is cat or dog fur."

It is not the first time that Anish has staged an unusual protest against cruelty to animals.

The Bath University student, who grew up in Swindon, went to July with her mother, Marilyn, 50, to join a naked protest against the annual Bull Run in Pamplona, Spain.

She said: "I get embarrassed about doing this sort of thing but my embarrassment is nothing compared to the suffering that these animals face.

"I will continue to fight against this totally cruel and inhumane trade."