Blair pledges support for animal testing

LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair declared his support for the country's key drugs industry today by announcing he would sign an online petition supporting the use of animals for medical research.

Blair said he was making the unusual move to show how important he felt it was that "as many people as possible stand up against the tiny group of extremists threatening medical research and advances in this country".

His break with tradition - petitions are normally handed to prime ministers, not signed by them - follows a week when animal rights activists threatened drug company shareholders and four other animal rights militants were jailed for 40 years.

The prime minister will join 14,000 other people who have signed the People's Petition, launched last month by the Coalition for Medical Progress, a broad alliance of drug companies, medical bodies, scientists and charities.

The petition says it "gives a voice to the silent majority of people in Britain who want to show their support for medical research using animals in the UK".

Last week four animal rights militants were jailed for a total of 40 years for a six year campaign of intimidation that culminated in the desecration of the grave of a woman whose family bred guinea pigs for medical research.

On Tuesday drugs firm GlaxoSmithKline secured a rare High Court injunction against an unknown group of animal rights activists to stop them publicising the names of shareholders.

Drugs research is one of Britain's most important industries but the country is also host to some of the world's most vociferous animals rights groups.

- REUTERS