Sign up to FREE email alerts from MyLondon - MyWestLondon News Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Warning - this article contains graphic images.

Two men who tucked into dead squirrels in a bizarre stunt outside a vegan food stall have been slapped with meaty fines.

Deonisy Khlebnikov, 22, and Gatis Lagzdins, 29, chowed down on the uncooked critters at the Soho Vegan Food Market in Rupert Street on March 30.

The pair claimed their strange protest was to raise awareness about the dangers of not eating meat.

Despite urgent requests for them to stop feasting on the squirrels' raw flesh, Khlebnikov and Lagzdins continued to chomp away at the carcasses.

They denied using disorderly behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress at a trial at City of London Magistrates’ Court on June 14.

(Image: CPS)

In a not-so juicy turn of events for them, Khlebnikov and Lagzdins were found guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday (July 22).

'Distress'

(Image: CPS)

“Deonisy Khlebnikov and Gatis Lagzdins claimed they were against veganism and were raising awareness about the dangers of not eating meat when they publicly consumed raw squirrels," said senior Crown prosecutor Natalie Clines.

“But by choosing to do this outside a vegan food stall and continuing with their disgusting and unnecessary behaviour despite requests to stop, including from a parent whose child was upset by their actions, the prosecution was able to demonstrate that they had planned and intended to cause distress to the public.

“Their pre-meditated actions caused significant distress to members of the public, including young children.”

(Image: CPS)

Khlebnikov, from Westminster, was fined £200 plus costs and a surcharge.

Lagzdins, from Ealing, who did not show up to the hearing, was fined £400 plus costs and a surcharge.