Campaigners slam animal testing figures

CAMPAIGNERS yesterday condemned a “shocking” 17-year high in the number of scientific experiments carried out on animals.

British Home Office statistics released yesterday showed that just under 3.7 million animal procedures were conducted in Britain last year – up 14% on 2007.

Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson defended the figures, arguing that animal experiments were vital for increasing knowledge about disease and developing new treatments.