SHOPPERS in Cheltenham town centre will be confronted with a giant reptile today.

A member of staff at Lush Cosmetics, in the Regent Arcade, will be dressed as a chameleon and crammed into a small cage in the High Street. The move comes as part of a campaign against keeping reptiles as pets.

Leonie Davies, Lush's campaigns manager, said: "The trade in reptiles is clearly out of control and countless animals are living short, miserable lives as a result. We hope that by raising the profile of this issue through our network of stores, we can lessen the demand for reptiles as pets."