Easter egg rollers should use potatoes, Peta says

4 hours ago

Paul Burnelland

Anna Jameson,North WestTonight

Peta says rolling potatoes would be greener, healthier and more ethical than eggs

PA Brightly painted eggs at Easter in a cardboard carton. — Peta says rolling potatoes would be greener, healthier and more ethical than eggs

Animal rights activists have called for Easter egg rollers to swap hen's eggs and milk chocolate eggs for potatoes in order to have "all of the fun and the tradition but just without the animal cruelty".

Preston Council's egg-rolling event in Avenham Park, which dates back to the 19th Century, will see participants rolling decorated eggs down a hill on 6 April.

Jennifer White from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) called for the council to "modernise" the event due to concerns around the production of hen's eggs and milk chocolate.

Preston Council said the event did not "prescribe the type of egg to be rolled and visitors have the choice as to what they roll down the hill".

The free event is expected to draw thousands to the slopes of Avenham Park, where the famous egg rolls will take place on the hour, every hour, from 11:00 to 16:00 BST on Easter Monday.

White said it should not condone cruelty.

"We know that Easter is all about celebrating new life and you simply can't do that when you're rolling eggs that come from an industry that send billions of animals to their deaths while they're still babies," she said.

"By rolling potatoes, you get all of the fun and the tradition but just without the animal cruelty."

Large crowds gather every year for the Preston tradition

The Harris/Preston City Council A black-and-white photograph, taken from the top of a hill, shows large crowds of people. They are at an outdoor event, with the silhouette of buildings along the skyline in the background. — Large crowds gather every year for the Preston tradition

White said due to Preston being home to "one of the longest-standing egg-rolling events", the charity believed any change made in the city "could help inspire egg-rolling events all over the country".

She added that potatoes were cheaper, more eco-friendly and healthier.

A Preston Council spokesperson said egg rolling in Preston dated back "more than 150 years and is a well-established tradition, regularly attracting 30,000 visitors each year".

They added that while historically, visitors "turned up with hard-boiled eggs, more recently these are often switched for chocolate eggs to be rolled down the hill".

Egg production in the UK is covered a code of practice set down under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The act makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met, have a suitable environment, are fed an appropriate diet and are protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease.

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