Scantily clad Peta volunteers get a rise out of opportunistic pedestrians

The central business district came to a standstill at noon yesterday when scantily clad members of the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals piled bananas two metres high and handed them out to passers-by to encourage them to go vegetarian. On the eve of Valentine's Day, the pair, clad in tight red-hot lingerie and spiked heels, almost sparked a riot, not from sex-mad males but from people who tried to walk off with more than their share.

Other Peta members had to shoo off the opportunists, but not before they made off with almost half the pile. A lone police officer kept an extra-watchful eye on the ladies, but kept his distance.

The lovely ladies sought to promote what they called 'veggie Viagra' - going vegetarian to improve your sex life. Ashley Fruno (pictured) is one of the two who laid herself bare and handed out bananas to alternately amused and embarrassed pedestrians. 'What goes on in the kitchen has a lot to do with what goes on - or doesn't - in the bedroom,' she said. 'Cholesterol in meat, eggs and diary products can cause hardening of the arteries and slow the blood flow to all organs of the body.'

Carrying a sign that said 'Get a rise out of vegetarianism', she claimed vegans make better lovers. And who can argue with her?