The Countryside Alliance has called on a Darlington museum to reconsider cancelling a planned bird of prey display following objections from local vegan and animal rights groups.

Hopetown Darlington, a railway themed museum, last week confirmed that all appropriate welfare, accreditation and safety standards had been met before deciding to cancel the event in response to ‘concerns’ raised by campaigners. The museum had arranged for a flying display by the Walworth Birds of Prey team to be held on 31 July. The educational event was set to feature talks on bird habitats, life cycles, food chains, and conservation, alongside expert Q&As and photo opportunities.

In a letter to Rose Rouse, chief executive of Darlington Borough Council, the Alliance said birds of prey displays, delivered by experienced and licensed handlers, are an important educational tool that allows families to learn about conservation, natural history, habitat management and the vital role birds of prey play in Britain's ecosystems.

It stressed that falconry is recognised internationally, having been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, Director of External Affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said:

"Museums exist to educate and inspire. Responsible birds of prey displays provide the public with a rare opportunity to experience these remarkable birds up close and to learn about their ecology, conservation and cultural significance.

" While experiencing manufactured outrage from so-called animal rights activists can be an unpleasant, the museum should stand firm in its original decision to allow the display to go-ahead. I can see no justification for cancelling it.

“As a rural organisation, we have dealt with several incidents similar to this one and have been pleased when bodies recognise the hurt and upset a decision to cancel an event has caused and reconsidered. We hope Hopetown Darlington reconsider and don’t rule out running similar events in the future”.

While the council did not respond specifically on whether it would reconsider the decision following public outcry, in response to the Countryside Alliance via its press office, it did not rule out hosting an event of this nature in future. It said it “will continue to develop and host a wide range of events in future, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis”.

In an earlier news story by the BBC, a spokesperson for Hopetown Darlington confirmed the decision to cancel the event was taken after listening to “concerns raised by local campaign groups”, however in later correspondence, seen by the Countryside Alliance, added that it was also “due to very low-ticket sales”.

When asked by the Alliance what connection “low-ticket sales” had to a free event scheduled to take place 21 days after it was cancelled, the council replied that “the decision to cancel the event followed a review of a range of operational factors, including booking levels and concerns raised by local groups”.

It added: " The organiser was informed of the decision, and the event was subsequently removed from booking platforms in line with normal practice”.

The Countryside Alliance will continue to the press Darlington Borough Council for more detail about the decision-making process behind cancelling the event and has sent additional enquiries.