PETA erects pro-vegan billboard outside Bolton station after commuter who asked for oat milk in his coffee was told 'we don't do that sort of thing here'

Paul Whitley popped into WH Smiths for his usual oat milk coffee two weeks ago, but received short shrift - and now PETA has hit back on his behalf READ MORE: From cow's and oat to soya and almond - a dietician reveals which milk is really best for health 

Animal rights group PETA has hit back with a vegan billboard outside a northern train station where a coffee drinker went viral for being refused oat milk in his coffee.

Paul Whitley was left stunned last month when a staff member in WH Smith in Bolton station told him 'we don't do that sort of thing here' when he asked for the plant-based alternative milk in his hot beverage.

He posted on Twitter: 'I'm in Bolton train station and I asked for oat milk in my coffee and the lady told me they don't do that kind of thing here.'

PETA has now responded by placing a billboard outside the station, reading: 'Because You Consume Dairy, Calves Die. GO VEGAN.'

The bright blue sign on Derby Street, which features a bottle of milk containing the pained image of a cow, is just 500 metres from the railway station and will be in place for two weeks.

PETA has hit back with a large billboard outside the station reading: 'Because You Consume Dairy, Calves Die'

Paul Whitley, 39, from Sheffield went viral when he was refused oat milk in his drink at Bolton train station

Paul shared his experiences on X, where it went viral, racking up more than three million views

PETA vice president of programmes Elisa Allen said: 'Each time we grab a cup of coffee, we can choose to spare loving mother cows and their babies suffering and an agonising death by simply ditching dairy.

'Bolton station can help commuters make compassionate choices by adding delicious and humane vegan milk to café menus.'

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that 'animals are not ours to eat' - says non-dairy milks are better for the environment and don't contain 'artery-clogging animal fat and cholesterol of cows' milk'.

Studies have shown animal milks are the most damaging to the planet due to cows being huge greenhouse gas emitters - but the impacts of other milks differ widely.

Paul, from Sheffield, had been waiting for a train on the platform of the Greater Manchester terminal when he went to the shop to satisfy his caffeine cravings.

The 39-year-old, who changed his name to 'celebr-oaty' on Twitter after the incident, claimed he was told that oat milk was not on the menu.

The billboard is placed just metres from the station and the animal charity hopes it will encourage it to offer vegan milks

The staff at WH Smith in Bolton train station (pictured, file image) said they only offered dairy milk

Paul, who has been happily married to his husband, Steve, for 13 years, later told The Bolton News: 'I don't think she was lying.

'They did offer iced coffee on the menu, so they do partially cater to the gays. The staff member was nice. I'd hate to get her in trouble.

'She did offer skimmed as an alternative. I noticed they had about six different flavours of syrup.'

When the arts centre manager shared his experiences on X where it went viral, racking up more than three million views.

Leading oat milk brand Oatly even gifted Paul his own supply of hundreds of cartons of oat milk after the incident.

It also sparked a debate on Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 phone-in show, with punters ringing in from around the country to share their points of view.

Paul had been waiting for a train on the platform of the Greater Manchester terminal when he went to the shop to satisfy his caffeine cravings

Many users on X also went on to detail their similarly 'surprising' culinary experiences in the North West region in the replies to Paul's original post.

One person wrote: 'My mother in law once asked for oat drink in her tea in a café.

'She heard the waitress around the back asking her boss what it was, and the boss replied: 'Just use skimmed milk'.

Others added: 'When my husband asked once in a hotel 'what milk choices have you got l' he got replied 'hot or cold'.';

'Having grown up in Bolton, I can confirm the milk choices available in the majority of Bolton are 'milk' and 'no milk'. We're a simple folk.'

'This is my home town. I salute her.'

These days, shoppers are usually spoilt for choice for milks when ordering their coffee, with alternatives such as oat, soya, coconut and almond being readily available in most outlets.

X users rushed to share their own experiences when asking for plant-based milk alternatives

Paul, 39, who has changed his name to 'celebr-oaty' on Twitter since the incident

Leading oat milk brand Oatly even gifted Paul his own supply of hundreds of cartons of oat milk after the incident

In January nutritionists issued a warning against oat milk, revealing that, despite being trendy, one cup can have more sugar than two Krispy Kreme donuts.

The plant-based milk alternative is very popular in the UK but contains more fat and sugar than traditional milk and less bone-boosting calcium.

Incredibly, one cup can contain up to 17g sugar, nearly as much as two Krispy Kreme donuts or four Chips Ahoy! cookies.

FEMAIL has previously reached out to WH Smith for comment.