Police were called to Petsmart, Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, after fears of a possible animal rights demonstration following TV reports of alleged animal cruelty in other Petsmart stores.

Officers attended after two men drove up in a van blowing whistles but they had left when police arrived.

The store shut for a short time yesterday but reopened just before noon.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.