Animal rights activists want to rename 1,000-year-old village of Wool, 'Vegan Wool'

An animal welfare group has offered to rename the ancient Dorset village of Wool as Vegan Wool, as the current name ‘promotes cruelty to sheep‘.

The offer, which has been ridiculed by some, has been made by the international animal rights group, PETA.

Elisa Allen, a director at PETA, has written to Wool Parish Council with the request and the council will now have to consider the proposal at a future meeting.

PETA has also promised the village’s 2,000 residents ‘cruelty-free’ blankets if they agree to the name change.

It says it has it has uncovered cruelty in the British wool industry that includes animals being trampled on, punched in the face and beaten with electric clippers.

Some have dismissed the request as a publicity stunt, but locals in the village, which has been named Wool since 1002, have dismissed the idea as ‘ridiculous’.

‘It is a ridiculous request and it’s caused quite a stir in the village,’ said Cherry Brooks, a councillor. ‘A few people are quite offended but most people seem to find it amusing.’

Villagers also claim that PETA has got its facts wrong, about the village’s name.

‘Wool’ is derived from the ancient word ‘welle’, which means a water spring and has nothing to do with farming.

The plan has been derided by many online, with some claiming they thought it was an early April Fool’s Day joke.

Wool featured in the works of Thomas Hardy, and was the location of Tess in his famous novel, Tess of the D’Urbevilles.