Sea Life London Aquarium told keeping penguins 'trapped in basement' is 'un

MPs have joined a campaign calling for 15 penguins "trapped in a basement without sunlight or fresh air" in central London to be released.

A group of 75 politicians has described their captivity at the Sea Life London Aquarium - a stone's throw from the Houses of Parliament - as "un-British".

The aquarium, in the County Hall building on the South bank, opposite the London Eye, first launched its exhibit of gentoo penguins in May 2011, and campaigners are arguing they "have now endured 14 years" in a small space with a pool just 2.1m (7ft) deep.

Image: Pic: Born Free/PA

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds has been asked to "consider whether the penguins should be relocated to a more suitable facility better aligned with their behavioural, ecological and physiological needs".

David Ta