"Sign cheques not just petitions" says MP

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 14th May 2006

The MP in whose constituency the research centre at the heart of the testing controversy lies, called on the Prime Minister to give the police and intelligence services the resources needed to undermine the animal rights extremists.

Dr Evan Harris, Lib Dem MP for Oxford west and Abingdon, said "Mr Blair needs to do more than sign petitions, hew needs to sigh cheques that will ensure that the police and the intelligence services have the resources to break open the extremist movement."

"Although this week's sentences have been welcome, in truth the number of convictions remains tiny compared to the increasing number of attacks and incidents of harassment and intimidation that scientists and contractors are subjected to, week in and week out."

"So far the success of the security services ahs been limited and disappointing, despite new laws passed recently. The police got off to very slow start on this problem".

"The truth is that Hillgrove Cat Breeders was shut down, the Cambridge Primate Research Centre was abandoned, Darley Oaks Guinea Pig Farm has closed and the Oxford lab is years behind schedule. Ministers have to first realise that we are still losing the war before they can be confident of winning it in the end, as win it we must for the sake of progress"