Furious campaigners have attacked plans to parade camels through a Kent village in a bid to raise aid for worthy causes.

Animal rights groups say the animals should “roam the desert” rather than be “dressed up” and forced to strut around Lympne, near Hythe, as part of nativity processions.

Lympne Castle has also arranged for sheep and donkeys to join the spectacle on Sunday, with tickets costing £12 per child and £50 for a family ticket

Stressing no animals will be mistreated, Lympne vicar Barry Knott says he asked to ride on the back of one camel as part of the parade but was not allowed.

Arguing the use of livestock could cause harm, Nathan McGovern, of Animal Rising, said: “Camels should be roaming through the desert, not through Kent village streets.

“None of us would like to be dressed up and paraded around - we should be showing animals the love and respect they deserve, not using them for processions.

“At the heart of this is a broken relationship with animals and the natural world.”

National charity Animal Aid highlighted camels can become dangerous when stressed, and hit out at plans to use livestock, which have received full backing from Lympne Church.

Actors portraying Mary and Joseph, wise men and shepherds are also billed as part of the procession, which will wind from Lympne Village Hall to the castle in The Street.

Animal Aid spokesperson Nina Copleston-Hawkens argued there are better ways to raise money “without causing harm to animals”.

“At an event filled with inescapable stressors such as excitable strangers, noise, lights etc - one can only imagine the stress this would cause the animals,” she told KentOnline.

“Camels are known to become stressed in unfamiliar environments and can cause great injury to people when this stress is channelled into aggression.

“Donkeys’ behaviour is notoriously hard to read and sheep can become fearful when exposed to strangers or separated from their flock.

“There are endless ways to celebrate Christmas that do not involve causing any harm to an animal.

“Continuing to exploit these gentle, beautiful creatures in festive events strengthens the myth that animals exist to satisfy human entertainment.

“They do not.”

Insisting the animals will be treated with “utmost respect”, Reverend Knott, who assisted in organising the event, said he would understand complaints if “lions and tigers” were to be used.

He said: “We are hoping to have a lot of people, but they will move around in small groups - the animals will be observed from a distance and won’t be interfered with in any way.

“We are trying this type of event for the first time to breed community cohesion and open up the Christmas story to a wider audience.

“We are talking about domestic animals here, if we were using lions or tigers I could understand the concerns, but the bottom line is these animals will be treated with the utmost respect.”

There will be four nativity parades beginning on the half-hour from 1pm to 2.30pm, with tickets available for online purchase. Money raised will go towards the nearby village hall, church and primary school.

Canadian TV actor Ann Kaplan Mulholland, who took ownership of the 1,000-year-old castle earlier this year, said: “You can experience the Christmas Story in a play acted out in various locations in the historic centre of Lympne Village.

“People can walk with Mary, Joseph and the donkey on their journey as they travel to Bethlehem and look for somewhere to stay; see the shepherds, their sheep and an angel choir at the stable; then follow the Wise Men and their three camels as they follow a star east, stopping at Lympne Castle to speak with King Herod, before finding Mary and Joseph in a house in Bethlehem and delivering presents to the Holy Family.”