Council officials have torn down dozens of posters for a controversial circus featuring Britain's last performing bear.

The move came as calls were made for wild animals in circuses to be outlawed after the Telegraph & Argus highlighted the case of Fred, the country's last circus bear.

Councillor Barry Thorne, chairman of Bradford Council's leisure services committee, spoke out after the T&A reported how Fred was appearing in the Circus King show on farm land at Cottingley.

But circus owner Jeffrey Hoffman said last night he would be prepared to part with Fred - if it went to a good home

Coun Thorne (Lab, Keighley West) said he would be urging his MP Ann Cryer and Shipley MP Chris Leslie to press for a change in the law.

He said: "I believe having wild animals like bears, tigers, lions and elephants doing stupid things for people is cruel, but unfortunately the law doesn't see that.

"I have joined picket lines in protest at circuses which use wild animals and I'd like to see the law changed to ban them.

"We banned such circuses on council-owned land because we believe it is a cruel use of wild animals."

Coun Thorne backed animal rights campaigners' calls for the public to boycott the circus, due to continue until Sunday.

He said: "The sensible thing is for people in Bradford just not to go and see such a sickening, disgusting and degrading show."

The Captive Animals Protection Society and World Society for the Protection of Animals are campaigning to persuade Mr Hoffman to give up Fred and hope to send him to a sanctuary in Canada.

Mr Hoffman has denied mistreating Fred and offering him for sale for £25,000.

A spokesman for Ann Cryer's office said she believed the Keighley MP would sympathise with Coun Thorne, adding: "When we hear from Barry Thorne we will certainly take it up with the relevant minister."

Mr Leslie was appalled to hear the circus had a performing bear and hoped the practise of using wild animals in circuses would "come to an end as soon as possible".

Council officials spent several hours yesterday removing posters advertising the circus from lampposts throughout the area.

Coun Thorne said: "It's illegal to have signs on lampposts without permission and dangerous from a highways point of view."

Mr Hoffman claimed his circus had been the target of a national newspaper campaign because of Fred.

He said: "We are not in a hurry to let him go but we would consider it if someone came along and offered us £25,000. We would call that compensation. But he would have to go to a good home of our choice."

'Let him go...he looked very unhappy'

Fred performed for about 90 seconds in last night's show. He went down a large slide then stood on a drum and 'walked' it a short distance before turning round on it and rolling it back to his stand.

Audience member Jacqueline Cachia said: "I think he should be released - he looked very unhappy. I came to see the cats, which the circus has reared from cubs."

Her husband Godwin agreed. "He did not look as though he had any life in him," he said.

But other parents said the circus was right to use animals.

Michelle Robinson, from Heaton, said: "I think everyone is entitled to their own opinions and if they don't like it they shouldn't come along.

"The kids think it's great - it's the only time they will probably see these animals up close."

Henry Domanski, also from Heaton, said: "The animals looked happy enough - if they were being treated badly they wouldn't do what they do."

Their friend Lisa Craven agreed. "They looked well fed and well looked after," she said.

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