MONKEY World director Dr Alison Cronin is set to present a 110,764 signature petition to 10 Downing Street this afternoon, calling for the government to ensure monkeys kept as pets in this country are guaranteed a high standard of care.

Dr Cronin will be joined by musician and activist Peter Gabriel and South Dorset MP Richard Drax.

Standards of care already exist in British zoos and wildlife parks, and campaigners now want the same standards guaranteed for monkeys in the legal British pet trade.

Dr Cronin said: "We are doing as much as we can to rescue as many British pet trade monkeys as possible but even after building two different facilities to home more than 50 'pet' monkeys, including Marmosets, Tamarins, Capuchin Monkeys, Spider Monkeys, a Saki Monkey, and a Lemur, we are full and now have a waiting list of monkeys that need our specialist care.

"While the situation the monkeys are in is terrible, there is also a very tragic human side to this story.

"Many well meaning, but ignorant, people are buying these wild animals at vast expense from unscrupulous breeders, animal dealers and pet shops that are taking advantage and telling people it is okay to keep a monkey in solitary confinement, in a bird cage, in their sitting room.

"It is tragic and out of control."