010406 PETA plans UK Burger King protests

London - International animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it will launch a protest campaign against Burger King Corp's British outlets.

This follows an announcement that U.S. fast food group Burger King has developed a plan to ensure animals are treated humanely at U.S. slaughterhouses. The plan does not yet include the UK and other countries.

``Burger King has so far ignored our demands for the company to take even minimal steps to ensure the welfare of their animals,'' PETA UK spokesman Andrew Butler said.

PETA activists plan to protest outside UK restaurants to demand that the company at least commits itself to the guidelines recently adopted worldwide by McDonald's Corp to ensure proper treatment of animals.

Burger King, part of British conglomerate Diageo Plc, has 11,330 outlets worldwide. It has been under mounting pressure from PETA since last October.

In the United States, Burger King spokesman Rob Doughty said the new slaughterhouse audit plan would seek to monitor suppliers for compliance with industry standards on animal treatment. The plan would initially be targeted at the U.S. market, he said.

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