BUAV PROBE LEADS TO HOME OFFICE ACTION AGAINST CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY FOR BREAKING LAW ON ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS . . .    

The BUAV (British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection) has succeeded in
exposing at least two examples of breaches of the law on animal experiments
by Cambridge University, with a third example pending investigation. 

In November 2001, the BUAV first exposed a tasteless and horrific experiment
at Cambridge University involving almost 300 mice; half the mice were
injected with methamphetamine (speed), the other half with salt water, and
then the animals were deliberately exposed to extremely loud music - Bach
and The Prodigy. As a result, some of the mice died during the experiment,
others suffered seizures and brain damage, and some displayed abnormal
repetitive behaviour (a sign of severe mental disturbance, suggesting the
animals were being subjected to stress of unmanageable proportions). 

Outraged by these "sick speed experiments", the BUAV pursued the matter with
the Home Office for nine months. Our determined efforts have finally
revealed that this experiment actually broke the law governing animal
experiments. The Cambridge researchers were only licensed to conduct
research into Huntington's disease but conducted the "speed" experiments
anyway, even though it wasn't authorised and had nothing to do with their
research project. In a letter to the BUAV the Home Office has admitted that
the experiment "exceeded the procedures permitted under the authorities of
the project licence. Infringement action has been taken."  However we were
outraged when the Home Office confirmed the researchers were simply
"admonished".

Yet this is not the first time Cambridge researchers have broken the law.
During a BUAV undercover investigation at Cambridge University's
Wellcome/Cancer Research Campaign Institute in 2001, minutes from a meeting
in December 2000 reveal that one researcher, a previous Lasker Medical
Research Award winner, is noted as having "exceeded the number of mice
stated on his project licence." 

Another BUAV undercover investigation, this time at Cambridge University's
primate neurological laboratories, revealed shocking evidence of horrific
monkey brain experiments at the institution. The University admitted in a
statement that it was investigating whether its researchers had worked
outside the terms of their licence. The BUAV's evidence shows that the
University's claim to the Home Office that no animal would suffer more than
"moderately", at any stage, was self-evidently nonsensical.

Wendy Higgins, BUAV Campaigns Director says
"These examples of law breaking at Cambridge University uncovered by the
BUAV, are just the tip of the iceberg. Every single BUAV undercover
investigation over the years has revealed breaches of government guidelines.
This pattern is probably repeated in labs all over the UK and demonstrates
that government claims of strict regulation are a sham. Time and again we
are told by the government that the UK has the strictest regulation in the
world and animals are only used when 'absolutely necessary', yet here
researchers have caused immense suffering to nearly 300 mice without a
licence and they receive little more than a slap on the wrist. These
researchers have breached the law and yet they are given the protection of
the law against prosecution for animal cruelty. That's shockingly
inadequate.

Animals are viewed by researchers as dispensable, throw-away lab tools, no
more important than a test tube. Experiments are conducted in secret, behind
closed doors, where we believe that most breaches probably go unnoticed. Yet
again it has taken an animal rights investigation to expose the distressing
reality of UK vivisection. Laboratories must be opened up to complete public
scrutiny as soon as possible, because the public simply can't rely on
scientists or the government to tell them the truth about laboratory animal
suffering." 

GET ACTIVE

What the Cambridge researchers have done is a criminal offence under the
1986 Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act. Specifically they have breached
section 3 of the 1986 Act, which states:

'No person shall apply a regulated procedure [which means 'any experimental
or other scientific procedure applied to a protected animal which may have
the effect of causing that animal pain, suffering, distress or lasting
harm': section 2(1)] to an animal unless ... (b) the procedure is applied as
part of a programme of work specified in a project licence authorising the
application, as part of that programme, of a regulated procedure of that
description to an animal of that description ...'

Section 22(1) of the 1986 goes on to say that contravention of section 3
constitutes an offence, with a maximum prison sentence for the researchers
of two years or six months (and/or an unlimited fine or a scale fine)
depending on whether the case goes to a Crown Court or Magistrates Court. 

Instead, however, in a clear demonstration of how the regulations offer no
protection whatsoever to even those laboratory animals used illegally, and
serve as no deterrent to researchers breaching the law, the Cambridge
researchers have simply been "told off" by the Home Office. This just isn't
good enough.

Write to the Home Office today to say how appalled you are that the
Cambridge researchers have got off so lightly and that if the general public
are to be convinced to hold any faith at all in the law regarding
vivisection, the researchers in question should be properly prosecuted and
punished accordingly.

Title your letters "Methamphetamine experiments on mice at Cambridge
University" and write to:
Bob Ainsworth MP
Home Office
50 Queen Anne's Gate
London SW1H 9AT.

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