A woman who witnessed the plight of dancing bears in India is holding an auction to raise money for a bear sanctuary.

Phillipa Alexander was horrified at what she saw. Many of the bears see their mothers killed in front of them when they are kidnapped as cubs. Their teeth are knocked out, claws ripped off and rings are forced through their sensitive noses.

For the rest of their lives they are dragged out along the roadside and whipped to look as if they are dancing for passing cars.

Miss Alexander, of Ditchling Rise, Brighton, saw the horrific way bears are treated just hours after her boyfriend proposed to her in front of the Taj Mahal.

Miss Alexander, 33, said: "My fiancee was trying to stop me seeing the bears because he knew how upset I would be - I love animals.

"It was the most awful thing I have ever seen. I felt I just had to do something about it."

Eight months later she has teamed up with International Animal Rescue (IAR) to help rescue as many bears as possible.

IAR has managed to buy 100 acres of land in southern India where it can build a sanctuary for the bears that can no longer live in the wild.

More importantly, the charity is trying to tackle the root of the problem by offering retraining to the Kalender people who own the bears.

At the moment they have no other way to earn a living so the authorities turn a blind eye to what is often the illegal poaching of cubs. IAR hopes to re-educate them in other jobs and make them sign an affidavit saying they will never work with bears again.

Miss Alexander, who is a voiceover artist and songwriter, is holding an email auction to raise money.

She said: "It costs £1,800 to rescue one bear. I'll be happy if I can raise enough to save two or three, or even pay for the cost of planting some trees in the sanctuary.

Auction prizes include reiki and physiotherapy sessions, restaurant and hotel bookings and even a training course in dealing with stranded marine mammals.

To take part, people should email Miss Alexander on alexanderp@bupa-intl.com for a full auction list. Bids are by email and the auction closes on Thursday, September 15. For more information on dancing bears, go to www.iar.org.uk