Britain still centre of animal rights 'terrorism'

LONDON - Cars fire-bombed, constant death threats and even a grave desecrated - the tactics of Britain's animal rights militants have earned them a reputation as the world's most extreme.

One security analyst told Reuters the UK was like "the Afghanistan of animal rights extremism" and the government has branded the more extreme elements "thugs and terrorists."

Few on either side of the intense debate about animal laboratory testing believe yesterday's jailing of three men and a woman for a total of 40 years will stop the attacks.

Jon Ablewhite, 36, John Smith, 39, Kerry Whitburn, 36, and Josephine Mayo, 38, had all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to blackmail the owners of the Darley Oaks farm in Staffordshire.

At Nottingham Crown Court, the three men were each jailed for 12 years while Mayo got four years for conspiracy to blackmail farmers who bred medical research guinea pigs - the latest stage of the intense battle between protesters and animal testers.

A clear sign the issue will not go away came earlier this week when intimidating letters were sent to small investors in drugs group GlaxoSmithKline, telling them to sell their shares or face having their details posted on the internet.

That warning and news on Wednesday that police had arrested 11 people in connection with offences relating to animal rights extremism were just the latest developments in a long stand-off which has often shocked public opinion with its savagery and has threatened to drive major drugs company away from Britain.

In January 2004, Cambridge University announced it was giving up plans for a 32 million pound primate research centre over fears it would not be safe from militants and six months later a building contractor working on Oxford University's new animal testing centre pulled out after protests.

As the campaigns became ever radicalised, there were fears Britain's multi-billion pound pharmaceutical industry would be threatened.

Tough measures

In July 2004, the government announced tough new measures to allow police to arrest activists protesting outside scientists' homes and strengthen harassment laws in a bid to assuage fears within the medical testing profession and the drugs companies.

Thursday's case was connected with the desecration of the grave of 82-year-old Gladys Hammond.

She was the mother-in-law of one of the co-owners of the Darley Oaks guinea pig breeding farm that came under persistent attention from extremists to close. Although the prosecution did not prove the four actually stole her body, the four did admit to using her theft as part of their blackmail campaign.

Richard Ley, of the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry, said figures compiled by the ABPI for the first three months of 2006 found that incidents were down significantly compared with a year ago.

"It remains an issue and if we can get a very serious reduction in these figures that is obviously going to be a major improvement from our point of view," he said.

Ley said his association had been impressed by the renewed commitment of the police to enforce the law on the people who are taking extremist action."

"We defend the right of those who are taking peaceable action, they have a right to do that. They don't have a right to commit intimidation violence harassment that some seem to think is appropriate."

He said they were hoping the new law, together with the creation of a specialist national police squad would prevent the sort of campaign that forced Darley Oaks farm to close.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed that's the case. That was absolutely appalling. I think everyone in the country was horrified at the idea of desecrating a grave and the various other activities that took place.

Outlawing the outlaws

Robin Webb, a spokesman for the Animal Liberation Front said the new law had not affected activists but was targeting mainstream groups.

"By their very nature, the actions of the ALF activists have always been unlawful, as liberating animals in the way they do is covered by burglary and theft. Economic sabotage has been covered by criminal damage."

"You can't legislate to outlaw something that's already outlawed," he added.

He warned that the new law could push activists into pursuing illegal methods to achieve their aims.

Many people felt disillusioned with Prime Minister Tony Blair's government, which, he said, had made about 60 promises before coming to power in 1997 to address the issue of animal welfare.

"Now with the promises broken, and broken so dramatically, people are angry and are more ready to understand those who don't take the parliamentary road and do go outside the law."

- REUTERS