ANIMAL rights protestors targeted the cosmetics section of Beales on Sunday afternoon.

A group of nine people carrying signs, a megaphone, and wearing black T-shirts with slogans entered the Bournemouth town centre store at around 1.50pm and approached the counter for make-up giant Mac.

Eyewitnesses reported an altercation with staff before store security ejected the protestors, who were then questioned by police officers a short distance down Old Christchurch Road.

Dorset Police said the protestors were moved on and no further action was taken.

One of the protestors, who gave her name as Carrie, said they were trying to raise awareness about MAC's alleged use of animal testing for its products sold in China, where such testing is a legal requirement.

"It was just a meeting of friends and we decided to do a peaceful protest," she said.

MAC states that it doesn't use animal testing for any of its products, nor does it commission or endorse such testing by other parties.

A statement on its website says: "While some governments conduct animal testing to prove safety before they will allow us to sell our products, we are advocating for change to prove there are

The campaigning group Dorset Animal Save was holding an event in Bournemouth Square on the same afternoon but said it was not involved with the protest at Beales.

In response to earlier reports that the Beales protesters had earlier been in the Square , it said its "outreach" event was still going on when the incident it happened in the department store.

A statement said: "This event was our usual fortnightly outreach event that we have been putting on since Easter and we are an entirely separate entity to any direct action groups as we do not use that approach.

"We use a love based community organising approach based on non-violence, love and truth demonstrating a factual exposé of the ethical, environmental and health issues behind the meat and dairy industry."