Activists attack top drug executive

LONDON, England -- A top executive at Britain's oldest drug-testing firm has been attacked outside of his home by three men believed to be animal rights activists, police said.

Brian Cass, managing director of Huntingdon Life Sciences, was returning home in St Ives, in central England when the three masked men attacked him with baseball bats late on Thursday.

"This was a cowardly attack and we've no doubt it was connected to Mr Cass's work," said a spokesman for the Cambridgeshire police services.

The 53-year old was taken to hospital with head injuries and wounds to his arms and hands and was released after receiving stitches to his head, said police.

One of two members of the public who came to Cass's aid was sprayed in the face with a CS-type gas.

Huntingdon Life has been a favourite target for activists for its testing on animals.

The firm came close to bankruptcy last month, when several investors sold their stakes over fears of firebomb attacks and death threats to employees by animal rights activists.

Company spokesman Jim Baxter said the nature of the attacks against Huntingdon had changed since activists first began targeting the company 18 months ago.

He said: "Up until the end of last year all the attacks were on property."

Eleven cars belonging to employees were firebombed last year, but an attack on a senior member of staff at Christmas was the first on an individual.

All Huntingdon employees have been given security advice by police.

Robin Webb of the Animal Liberation Front said his organisation had not been behind the attack on Cass.

"The ALF has always had a policy of not hurting life of any kind," he said.

Some 2.6 million animals are used in trials each year: 85 percent of them rats and mice and around 0.4 percent of them cats and dogs.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Huntingdon Life Sciences
Animal Liberation Front

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