CIRCUS acts featuring animals will be permitted in Belper as long as they abide by RSPCA rules.

The Town Council had been urged to ban animal acts from all the sites.

Charity Animal Aid proposed the ban and claimed its "no animals" policy had been adopted by more than 200 local authorities.

But the council has now rejected the idea.

Councillor Alan Cox said: "This is a suggestion too far. Any circus which complies with RSPCA guidelines I am happy to go along with."