People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written to LEGO urging the toy company to rebrand a new farm set as a 'sanctuary'.

Several LEGO City farm sets are due to be released this week in Europe including a chicken coop and vegetable delivery truck.

The new collection also features a toy farm complete with farmers, a barn, tractor and greenhouse with vegetables.

The animals in the set include a cow, calf, sheep (which has a removable fleece), lamb, pig and piglets.

However, PETA claims that the toy set is a "a false and misleading depiction of animal agriculture".

In a letter to LEGO CEO, Niels Christiansen, the animal rights organisation called for the set to be rebranded as a "sanctuary" where it said that "animals are free to live out their lives in peace".

PETA claimed that "the reality for farmed animals is a far cry from LEGO’s peaceful, happy scene".

"Children should be brought up to be compassionate and not ignorant about animal suffering.

"By rebranding the farm as a sanctuary, LEGO would send a positive message about our relationship with other animals and allow children to imagine a world in which everyone is cared for and slaughter and forced confinement are a thing of the past," PETA said.

The organisation also noted that children are growing up in a "climate catastrophe" which it claimed can be mitigated by "a global switch to vegan eating".