Activists protesting against animal testing were moved on by police as they tried to hold demonstrations outside two businesses on Friday.

Beds Animal Action held planned demonstrations outside AstraZeneca, in Capability Green, and the Staples store in Castle Street, but were moved on after a short period.

The group claims that pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has used the animal research company Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) in Cambridgeshire to carry out product testing, and that Staples has delivered office to them.

HLS has been heavily criticised by animal rights groups in the past for the way animals there are treated.

Protestor Justina Mclennan said she was unhappy at the way the five protestors were dealt with by the police. She said: "They said we were intimidating people but we were just holding a peaceful demo."

The group were moved on from AstraZeneca when one of them decided to go and demonstrate outside a different area of the building.

Their attempts to protest outside Staples proved even less fruitful when the group were moved on after just a few minutes.

Staples spokesman Jason Poulter said the company did not and could not restrict who bought supplies from their website based on their business or their personal beliefs.

A spokesman for AstraZeneca would only say that no animal research took place at its Luton site.

Visit the Beds Animal Action website

Find out more about Astra Zeneca


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