London, (IANS) A number of Hindu temples in Britain have banned the new £5 note after it emerged that it contained animal fat.

The National Council of Hindu Temples said the new currency "ceases to be a simple medium of exchange but becomes a medium for communicating pain and suffering and we would not want to come into contact with it".

The Independent on Sunday quoted Satish Sharma, a spokesperson for the Council, as telling BBC that he knew of at least three temples which were not accepting the £5 note.

"I think temples have a responsibility to maintain a certain standard of Dharmic (religious) principles. Any temple which wanted to go along and ban the £5 note wouldn't be acting in any matter which was inconsistent," he said.

The Bhaktivedanta Manor, a Hare Krishna temple at Hertfordshire, posted a photo on Facebook which said: "We no longer accept the new 5 pound notes as they contain animal fat."

Last week, it was revealed that the note contains tallow, which comes from beef or mutton fat. Hindus consider cow a holy animal.

The Shree Sanatan Temple at Leicester also launched a campaign to have the note replaced, the Independent reported.

"We are very disappointed to learn that the new £5 note contains traces of animal fat," the temple's website said.

A petition to remove tallow from the bank notes has received more than 120,000 signatures.