An animal welfare charity has made a kooky pitch to Croydon Council by asking the authority to rename one of the borough’s roads – in return for everyone living in it receiving a free duvet.

PETA has promised free "sumptuous, fluffy, feather-free" bedding for every resident of Featherbed Lane, on the condition the South Croydon road is renamed - you guessed it - Feather-Free-Bed Lane.

It said the switch would raise awareness of cruelty to birds by bedding manufacturers.

In a letter sent yesterday to Wayne Trakas-Lawlor, the mayor of Croydon, the charity asked him to have a gander at its proposal.

PETA director Elisa Allen wrote: "With interest in vegan living at an all-time high, it's the perfect time to change this lane's name from something which signifies cruelty to birds to a name which reminds people around the county that we all can have a good night's sleep without supporting a nightmare scenario for ducks and geese.

"As further incentive, if you agree to adopt this new moniker, we'd be happy to provide every one of the lane's residents with cruelty-free bedding."

When asked about PETA's proposal, Cllr Trakas-Lawlor admitted he "hadn't really thought about it".

But he added: "I passed it on to cabinet members. I sympathise with [PETA's] case but from what I can understand I think it's a bit more complicated than just changing the name.

"Personally I'm against animal cruelty, but I don't know enough about their organisation or what they're doing to be able to comment on it."

Croydon Council has been contacted for comment.

Perhaps in expectation of a less-than fowl-throated response from the council, the charity made sure not put all its eggs in one basket - it has also written to a council in Shropshire with a similar offer.

In her letter, Ms Allen crowed about the benefits of synthetic bedding as she detailed the "cruelty inflicted on animals at the hands of the down feather industry".

She wrote: "Down is the soft layer of feathers closest to birds' skin, primarily in the chest region. These feathers are highly valued by manufacturers of down clothing and comforters because they don't have quills.

"While down and other feathers can be removed from ducks and geese during slaughter, many birds are plucked repeatedly while they're still alive."

A recent PETA exposé of goose farms in China, which is the the source of 80 per cent of the world's down, revealed that workers "pin geese down and rip their feathers out as the animals thrash about and scream", Ms Allen said.

If Croydon Council do take the charity up on its birdbrained proposal, it is unclear how many households on the quiet country lane will benefit.

But a plucky PETA spokeswoman later assured the Croydon Guardian the offer had been made in good-feathered faith.

She said: "We are fully committed to honouring our pledge – if the mayor does change the name of Featherbed Lane, we will make sure we swallow the cost of replacing the bedding in the lane with synthetic alternatives."

Would you mind your road being renamed if you got a free duvet? Email chris.baynes@newsquest.co.uk