Fur sales have risen by a third in the past year after languishing as a result of protests, according to the British Fur Trade Association.

At Hockley, London's largest furrier, sales are up 45 per cent on last year following a 20 per cent rise in 2003. Things really picked up two years ago," said Frank Zilberkweit, the store owner. "That was when designers started making fur really fashionable."