Letchworth shoppers will be joined by campaigners today as they call for a global ban on testing cosmetics on animals.

East of England MEP Alex Mayer will front The Body Shop’s campaign calling for the United Nations to adopt an international convention that will end animal testing for cosmetics products and their ingredients across the world by 2020.

Alex will be speaking with the Letchworth Body Shop store manager Kim Stevenson about how the global campaign is progressing before encouraging shoppers visiting the Garden Square Shopping Centre store and wider town centre to sign the petition.

She said: “Britain is a nation of animal lovers, so I am sure everyone in Letchworth will want to get behind this campaign.

“Letchworth shoppers know that the shampoo, lipstick or eye-shadow they buy here in the UK has not been tested on animals, but that’s not the case in the rest of the world.

“Sadly over 500,000 animals are used by the cosmetics industry every year. It is time that we stood up for the animals that can’t stand up for themselves and end animal testing for good.

“So let’s make sure The Body Shop’s campaign is a success – that will make me a happy bunny!”

This year marks the five-year anniversary of the ban on cosmetics testing on animals across Europe, but despite the widely available alternatives to animal testing around today, there are still no laws banning animal testing in 80 per cent of the world.

Alex will be at the store in Letchworth from 4.05pm today.

The Body Shop is aiming to get eight million signatures on its petition, and has already reached more than five million.

For more information and to sign the petition, go to foreveragainstanimaltesting.com.