Animal rights activists ridiculed for asking village of Wool to change name to Vegan Wool in 'animal friendly update'

Animal rights activists have contacted the village of Wool in Dorset, asking if it would like to change its name to Vegan Wool in an "animal friendly update".

In a letter to the parish council, the vegan organisation suggests that the name change would "put Wool in the spotlight and promote kindness to sheep".

However, the fact that the name Wool is actually derived from an ancient word for "well" or "springs" appears to have been overlooked.

The letter from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Director Elisa Allen goes on to state that wool "stolen from sheep" is "a product of extreme cruelty", which if done incorrectly can leave "sheep with large, bloody wounds", and aims to tempt villagers to back a name change by offering them vegan wool blankets.

Yet even the temptation of blankets made from "hemp and coconut fibres treated with enzymes extracted from oyster mushrooms" or "organic cotton, banana bark, and bamboo" were not enough to tempt residents who ridiculed the letter on social media.

"The whole world's gone mad," Emma Stoodley wrote.

While vegan Samantha Peters called the idea "bonkers".

Lea Welsh poked fun at the suggestion, asking if other places should change their names in order to be more vegan friendly.

"So Cheddar Gorge could be Vegan Cheddar Gorge? Burgar in Scotland could be Veggie Burgar?" she asked.

"Vegan Ham(pshire)," quipped Jayne Ingram.

Following the submission of of the letter to the parish council, they will debate its contents at their next meeting.

In a statement, Dorset County Council said they were "immensely proud of our heritage and the diverse history of our often unique place names, some of which have been in place since Saxon times", but said the final name change decision would be left to Wool Parish Council.