by Jess Banham and Nisha Chopra

Hundreds of campaigners turned up at a meeting to protest against live animal exports from Ramsgate port.

It was announced last month that shipments would pass through the town, despite opposition from the port's owners Thanet council.

At least one shipment left last month - with 300 sheep and a similar number of calves loaded onto a container ship bound for France, for eventual transportation to Spain or Italy.

At a meeting on Friday at St Lawrence Parish Hall, the audience of around 200 was told a demonstration had been set up for Ramsgate on August 13.

And MPs and MEPs were being lobbied to join in the campaign to change the law on live exports.

Peter Skinner, MEP, had already given his support, but protesters wanted the nine other South East Euro MPs to join the fight.

Organiser Ian Driver said after the meeting that he was certain the law could be changed: "The anger and the concern that was expressed in that meeting - if that's typical of the people of Thanet I would think changing EU law would be fairly straightforward.

"We just need to harness all that anger into a proper, well-organised campaign to put pressure on our Euro MPs and put press on our ordinary MPs to look at the law, to change the law and have something a lot more humane and a lot less cruel in its place."

He said earlier that Thanet Council, which owns the port, was powerless to stop the trade. They have their hands tied by European and UK legislation.

He also claimed he had been contacted by lots of people disgusted by the "cruel and barbaric" trade operating from the port.

Mr Driver, who is a Thanet borough and Ramsgate town councillor, urged people to take a stand and use the power of protest against the lawmakers.

Speakers at the meeting included the RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and Kent Against Live Exports.

Live exports are already in place from the Port of Dover and demonstrations have been held there and at Sheerness.