Animal rights group to protest Grand National in Northampton town centre

Northampton Vegan and Animal Rights Group are meeting today in Abington Street where they will hold placards and show footage of suffering inflicted on racehorses.

The demonstration will begin around midday.

"Since 2000, 49 horses have died from their injuries at the Aintree Grand National meeting – 11 in the National itself," said a spokesperson for the group.

"The extreme distance of the Grand National of four and a quarter miles, which sees the forty horses involved being confronted by a total of thirty fences, has resulted in numerous horses collapsing at the end of the race, some of whom have died."