A DORSET wildlife centre is stepping up its campaign against the mistreatment of monkeys - and is calling on all animal-lovers to support the cause.

Monkey World, near Bovington, wants to see tighter regulations on trading and keeping primates as pets, and is hoping a campaign among supporters will convince the government to act.

Monkey World director Dr Alison Cronin said the UK pet industry was the 'longest continual problem' for the ape rescue centre, which takes in primates that have been abandoned or mistreated by their owners.

"The problem isn't getting better," she said. "It's becoming worse and worse."

She noted that the park had rescued some 60 primates in the last five years alone - and that this was just the tip of the iceberg.

"The trade is out of control," she said.

Dr Cronin explained that people often bought small monkeys as pets 'because they look cute', but struggled to cope with their complex needs.

According to the park's count, some 88 species of monkey require no licence to be kept as pets - including marmosets, squirrel monkeys, capuchins and titi monkeys.

But as Dr Cronin pointed out, looking after a monkey is not like looking after a goldfish - or any other common household pet.

"We've seen people keeping monkeys in birdcages," she revealed. "We see them being sold singly. But they're social animals - it's a death sentence for them."

The park is therefore campaigning for stricter regulations to be introduced governing the keeping of monkeys as pets - and is hoping to drum up enough support via the Stamp It Out campaign, complete with a promotional video featuring Dr Cronin.

The park is calling for supporters to write in to the minister responsible, George Eustice - and also to publicise the campaign on social media, sharing and using the hashtag #StampItOut.

"We're not calling for an outright ban on keeping monkeys as pets," Dr Cronin stressed. This stance contrasts with that of other animal-welfare groups, including the RSPCA, which continues to call for such a ban.

The campaign follows a petition presented by Dr Cronin to Downing Street in April 2016, containing more than 114,000 signatures calling for the government to act. But since then, she said, they've had only 'empty words and hot air' from the government and Mr Eustice.

She called on the government to give greater powers to local authorities to license pet shops and traders and to investigate animal welfare in domestic settings.

A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs meanwhile pointed out that it is against the law to keep monkeys in the same environment as you would keep a domesticated pet.

"Monkeys and other primates are wild animals with specific complex needs," the spokesman said.

"It is an offence not to provide for their welfare needs, and anyone breaking this law can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence."

The spokesman also pointed to regulation due to take force in October that will apply tighter rules to the online and offline pet trade, and will also oblige sellers to provide buyers of pets with written instructions as to their welfare - including their environment, food, behaviour and housing.