Today NARN received the following release from HBOS Plc. Please read on for our response.

From HBOS Plc:
"As owners of the Light, we are landlords to Seasons Boutique and a whole range of other businesses who are our tenants at that property. As most people will naturally understand it is not our business, as the landlord, to stipulate how and what business our tenants conduct. Indeed we do not have any legal power to direct our tenants in this way. As a matter of fact, it is our understanding that this particular business is operating both within its tenancy agreement and the law. We trust this answers your points and that you will post our response for your readers to view.

HBOS plc"

Our response:
Seasons Boutique continue to sell real fur, which is not disputed above. As long as they do, HBOS will be a target as fur is being sold on premises they lease out. We have been contacted by a large number of people shocked that HBOS Plc are involved in such cruelty and as a result are closing their accounts. Maybe Seasons would like to choose what is most important to them - customers and their landlord's clients or fur products.

Land Securities are the landlords for another fur store that has been campaigned against through Fur-Free North. They raised our concerns with the retailer in question and the fur was removed from display. All we are asking for is a no-fur policy from Seasons Boutique - not for them to be closed down.

If you read past the black and white of what HBOS are saying, it simply reads that they are unwilling to act because Seasons Boutique are not breaking the law. This is correct as it is not illegal to sell fur in the UK. However, questions are continuing to be raised about the fact that the practice of farming animals for their pelts was outlawed in the UK in 2000 because of public pressure and disgust at the cruelty involved - so what makes it any better to sell fur? We know for a fact that Seasons Boutique get their fur products from China where video footage shows animals being skinned alive as they are writhing in agony. We challenge the HBOS management team to watch the footage and still not care about animals which end up being sold in property owned by their firm.

We are therefor unwilling to cease the campaign against them and HBOS until all fur is removed.