A RABBIT rescue charity is urging parents not to buy cute bunnies for their children as spur-of-the-moment Easter gifts.

Kay White, who runs Bunnyhop Rescue, says she is inundated with unwanted rabbits every Easter.

“Parents buy them for their children as Easter presents but soon get fed up with them and put them into rescue,” she said.

She is backing a national “Make Mine Chocolate”

campaign which aims to encourage parents to buy chocolate rabbits for their children rather than real bunnies.

As part of the campaign, Mrs White visited Lilliputs Nursery in Westhoughton with giant rabbit Daisy, where the youngsters saw just how big the animals can get.

The children, aged from two to four, have become keen supporters of Bunnyhop Rescue after a previous visit by Mrs White and have sent toys and food for the rescue rabbits.

Katie Eardley, aged four, was delighted to meet Daisy, Roland the rat and Go-Cart the guinea pig and listened to the talk given by Mrs White.

“I know that we should only have chocolate rabbits for Easter,” she said. Chloe West, also four, was thrilled to meet the animals.

Amy Green is a supervisor at the Bolton Road nursery and she organised the visit.

She said: “I got to know Mrs White because I have a rabbit of my own. The children love her coming here and bringing the animals.”

Mrs White said it was important to educate people, especially children, about the importance of caring properly for animals.

“Far too many people buy rabbits for their children and soon get fed up with caring for them and the rabbits end up with me.

“If we can educate children at a young age hopefully they will educate their parents,” she said.

Mrs White does not rehome rabbits at Easter.

To find out more about Bunnyhop visit bunnyhop.co.uk