Protest march from Sheerness High Street to the docks to protest about live animal exports in 2007.

Live animal exports are to be shipped out of Ramsgate Port - despite the port operator's objections.

Thanet council, which runs the site, said it had been "strongly resisting" moves to ship animals to the continent.

But it claimed it had "no legal basis" to refuse the use of the port for such a trade.

Thanet council's commercial services manager, Mark Seed, said: "The council has been strongly resisting the use of Ramsgate Port for the export of livestock, ever since this issue was first raised with us as the port owners and operators.

"We are exceptionally unhappy about this situation and about the potential impact that such trade could have on the port, but unfortunately there is no legal basis on which we can refuse the use of the port for this purpose."

He said the port was an open one, and firms had a right to use it for trade.

But to take legal action against live animal exports would involve a "significant cost to the taxpayer", which would be unlikely to stop it.

He Seed added: "There is therefore little that the council, as the port operator, can do to stop this, despite our views on this matter."

He added: "We are only too well aware of the strong feelings that this issue evokes, but the last thing we want is to see trade at the port suffer through protests."

He urged those opposed to the trade to take the matter up at a national level.

Live exports are already in place from the Port of Dover, with regular protests there. Campaigners have also held demonstrations at Sheerness Docks.