Huntingdon Life Sciences identifies US backer

Drug testing group Huntingdon Life Sciences, which was dramatically rescued from the brink of closure a week ago, today confirmed the identity of its US financial backer.

The Cambridgeshire company, which has been the target of animal activists, said American financial giant Stephens Group held a 15.7% stake in Huntingdon.

In addition, the group confirmed it had successfully completed the re-financing of its current bank facilities.

However, the emergence of Stephens as a backer has turned animal protesters’ attention to the American group.

A spokesman for Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, the protest group which has led the campaign to close Huntingdon down, told the Financial Times: ‘‘It’s time now to try to damage Stephens in many different ways.

‘‘Stephens will very soon be suffering for helping HLS.’’