Vegans demand famous Pork Pie roundabout should have its 'offensive' name changed

Vegans have demanded that the famous Pork Pie roundabout in Leicester should have its ‘offensive’ name changed.

The landmark in the East Midlands - which is actually named after a library which resembles the traditional meat snack when viewed from above - has triggered activists to request that the roundabout undergoes a name change.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written to Sir Peter Soulsby, the mayor of Leicester, to claim that renaming the landmark the ‘Vegan Pie Roundabout’ would ‘inspire the public to make healthier food choices’ and ‘prevent animal suffering’.

In the letter, the animal rights organisation cited a survey which discovered that a third of people over 18 years old in the area are obese, which has increased from under a quarter just five years prior.

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The site said: “As recent reports revealed that Leicestershire has some of the highest obesity rates in the UK, there’s never been a better time to stop going around in circles and take a bite out of Leicester’s dangerous obesity crisis.

“Eating meat, including pies made from pigs, is particularly linked to colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, and stomach cancer.

"Animal-derived foods contain many substances that can directly increase the risk of cancer, such as haem, nitrates, nitrites, heterocyclic amines, and polycyclic amines.

“Vegans are less likely than meat-eaters to suffer from heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Plant pies are the future, Leicester!”

The charity further claims that calling the road feature ‘vegan’ would be appropriate as the term for a plant-based diet was invented in Leicester. 

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The site states: “As the word ‘vegan’ was coined in Leicester by Donald Watson in 1944, changing the name of this busy roundabout would also be a great way to celebrate the city’s vegan and pie-loving heritage.”

Onlookers have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the request, with one person writing: “Just read a headline...Vegans demand a roundabout called Pork Pie is renamed. The world's gone mad.”

Another added: “I had no idea that Leicester had a pork pie roundabout! How chuffing fabulous. It must be defended at all costs!”

Sir Peter Soulsby, who received the letter, told the Metro: “It’s a funny and quite clever way of drawing attention to themselves and their cause – but there is no way we could change the name people have given to the library and the roundabout next to it.

“It has been known locally as the Pork Pie Library since it was built in the 1930s, thanks to its distinctive circular shape. Any talk of changing its name is just pie in the sky.”