by Emma Walker

Created on: January 26, 2009   Last Updated: January 18, 2010

BBC news 21.01.09 Today seven animal rights activists who blackmailed companies linked to an animal testing laboratory have been jailed for between four to seven years'.

The seven people led a six year crusade in order to try and stop perceived animal cruelty at Huntington life science (HLS) in Cambridge U.K. They falsely claimed that managers of the companies were paedophiles, sent hoax bomb parcels and made threatening phone calls.

About forty companies were persecuted by this group of people, and the total cost of damage and expenses to these companies incurred as a result of their harassment was 12.6 million, not to mention the personal mental damage they caused.

Huntington life science is one of the largest contract research organisations. The company is involved with; nutrition, veterinary and biochemical research and assessment of pharmaceutical, food additives and a variety of crop and consumer chemicals. In a nut shell there job is to ensure that any related new products or treatments are effective and safe, and research into finding new cures and treatments for currently incurable diseases.

Over the past thirty years there have been huge advancements made in medical treatments, many as a direct result of animal testing here are a few examples: Treatment of retinopathy of prematurity, a disorder of the retina which can lead to blindness in premature infants.( Laser treatment for this condition today has a 90% success rate). Improved cancer treatments such as the development of the breast cancer drug Herceptin (developed using mice). Drug treatments for HIV infection, including a new class of drugs called protease inhibitors which when used in combination with other drugs are proving to be effective long term treatments, and increasing the quality and longevity of many HIV patient's lives. Stem cell research and the application of adult stem cells to treat so far over one hundred conditions, including leukaemia, Hunter's syndrome and heart disease.

But despite all these advancements there are still many people suffering from disease and genetic disorders for which there is not yet an effective treatment or cure.

At this point in time and for the foreseeable future the living body and the diseases which affect it are too complicated to be understood without the use of animal research. In some instances this is the only effective way of testing new drugs and treatments and ultimately saving lives.

Some animal rights activist groups advocate personal attacks,

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