Britain sees big fall in animal activist attacks

London, July 27: Attacks by animal rights activists fell dramatically in Britain in the first half of this year, the country's drug industry said yesterday.

Attacks on people's private homes declined to just 15 per cent in the first six months of 2006, under half the number in the same period last year and 14 per cent of the total for the first six months of 2004.

''These figures mark a sea change in the level of attacks and harassment in the UK,'' said Dr Philip Wright, director of science and technology at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

Wright said the reduction reflected new legislation to curb extremists, better policing and liaison with various stakeholders to combat attacks.

British animal rights activists have fought a prolonged and sometimes violent campaign against using animals to test new medicines, and industry executives have warned that intimidation could undermine future investment.

Drugmakers say using animals remains a vital part of the research and development of new medicines and vaccines.

Animals were used in 2.9 million medical experiments in Britain in 2005, an increase of 1.4 percent from the previous year, according to government figures released earlier this week.

Reuters