UK Drug Firms Say Animal Rights Attacks in Decline

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UK Drug Firms Say Animal Rights Attacks in Decline

 

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LONDON - The number of attacks in Britain by activists campaigning

against the use of animals in medical research fell sharply last

year, as the UK government took a stronger line against often

violent protests.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said

on Tuesday that damage to company, personal and public property by

animal extremists nearly halved compared with 2004, while abusive or

threatening messages dropped by a third.

 

There were 85 instances of property damage in 2005 compared with 177

the previous year, and only 10 of these were recorded in the last

three months of the year.

 

New powers under the Serious Organised Crime and Disorder Act came

into effect last July, making it easier for police to jail activists

who have targeted companies involved in testing products on animals

and their suppliers.

 

Firms such as Cambridge-based research laboratory Huntingdon Life

Sciences, and any company with links to it, have seen their property

and staff attacked on numerous occasions in recent years in what

police have described as a campaign of terror.

 

Dr Philip Wright, the ABPI's director of science and technology,

said the trend was encouraging but more still needed to be done to

safeguard legitimate research.

 

As if to underline the point, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the country's

biggest drug maker, said it was working with the police after

activists daubed the home of company secretary Simon Bicknell with

abusive messages earlier this month.

 

Industry leaders have warned in the past that violent protests could

undermine future pharmaceutical investment in research and

development in Britain.

 

 

Story 1/2/2006