Animal activists spark fury after demanding Pork Pie Island is renamed Vegan Pie Roundabout

Vegan activists have called for the city of Leicester to rename a traffic roundabout called Pork Pie Island to ‘Vegan Pie Roundabout’.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) suggested the controversial move in a letter to Leicester’s Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, saying that the island should be rebranded to help promote healthier food choices. 

Pork Pie Island was named by locals to match a 1930s library which sits adjacent to the roundabout. The library has a series of round sections surrounding its main building that slightly resembles a pork pie when looking at it from a bird’s-eye view.

Kate Werner, senior campaigns manager at PETA, claimed the word ‘vegan’ was invented in Leicester, and changing the name would inspire residents to choose meat-free foods.

She said: ‘This timely name change would inspire healthier food choices that help the environment, celebrate Leicester’s heritage, and prevent animal suffering. This is not a pie-in-the-sky request.

‘Eating a varied plant-based diet has been shown to prevent heart disease, diabetes, abdominal fat, and cancer.

‘Encouraging people to eat plant-based could also help lessen the burden on Leicester’s already overstretched NHS.

‘The United Nations has stated that a global shift towards plant-based eating is urgently needed.

‘And since the word ‘vegan’ was coined in Leicester by Donald Watson in 1944, it would also be a great way to celebrate the city’s vegan and pie-loving heritage.’

However, people in Leicester were unimpressed with the proposition and was instead met with anger and bemusement by residents. Pictured, Pork Pie Island roundabout

Referring to a recent report that said Leicestershire had high levels of obesity, Ms Werner added: ‘PETA would be happy to offer a bountiful supply of delicious vegan pies to the local community to celebrate the name change.’

However, people in Leicester were unimpressed with the proposition and was instead met with anger and bemusement by residents.

Simon Chambers said: ‘Are you having a laugh? It’s nothing to do with an actual pork pie. Leave our city’s history alone please.’

Carol Lennon commented: ‘Even if you called it Radish Roundabout literally everyone would call it pork pie island, so what’s the point? Some things are best left alone.’

Pork Pie Island was named by locals after an adjacent library built in the 1930s, which has a series of round sections that resembles a pork pie when viewed from the air (file photo)

Stephen Ward added: ‘My grandad designed the library which the island is named after. It’s an iconic Leicester building and the island is synonymous with it. Stop bowing to the namby pamby nanny state.’

Adam Baker joked: ‘No animals were harmed while naming this roundabout – get a life people. For goodness sake, how is the name of a roundabout going to influence what food you eat?’

And Jay Mulla said: ‘Ridiculous. I’m a vegetarian, have been for over 35 years, and I get really annoyed with this kind of thing.

‘People are vegan/vegetarian by choice. Plenty of other people choose to eat meat. Why do some people try to ram their choices down other peoples’ throats?’

The Grade II library the island takes its name from was once known as Southfields Library, but was recently relaunched as the Pork Pie Library and Community Centre. It is run by Leicester City Council.

Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: ‘It’s a funny and quite clever way of drawing attention to themselves and their cause – but there is no way we could change the name people have given to the library and the roundabout next to it.

‘It has been known locally as the Pork Pie Library since it was built in the 1930s, thanks to its distinctive circular shape. Any talk of changing its name is just pie in the sky.’

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) suggested the controversial move in a letter to Leicester’s Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, saying that the island should be rebranded to help promote healthier food choices