SIR David Crausby declined an invitation to visit a circus in Bolton featuring ‘wild’ animal acts months after he called on the government to ban the practice.

Circus Mondao, which returns to Bolton for a 12th year this week, invited the Bolton North East MP to see for himself how the animals are treated.

Ring mistress Petra Jackson said: “I bet he’s never actually been to a circus.”

Miss Jackson, who has worked in the circus for 26 years, also accused animal welfare organisations of ‘telling lies to further their cause’ and said that the MP just believed the information he was given.

Sir David said that he is unable to attend the event which takes place outside of his constituency because it was too short notice.

He added that he had in fact been to a circus with wild animals five years ago in Germany.

He said: “I don’t really believe in this modern day and age that we need to entertain people with animals.”

Sir David supported a parliamentary motion to ban the use of wild animals in circuses last year and recently backed a campaign to change the current laws due to expire in January 2020.

He said that he is not against people going to circuses and believes that circus owners take care of their animals, but is against transporting them and making them perform.

He said: “It just seems to me wrong in principle.”

Sir David clarified that his comments are not related to Circus Mondao specifically, but circus animal acts in general.