01/05/2007

Police arrest 30 animal rights extremists

Thirty people have been arrested in connection with alleged animal rights extremism in a series of early morning raids carried out by police in the UK and at locations in Europe.

Around 300 police officers took part on the operation, which targeted 30 addresses in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands.

In the UK, raids took place at 29 addresses in Berkshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Greater London, Merseyside, Worcestershire, Northumbria and Yorkshire, Lancashire, Surrey and South Wales.

Two unnamed locations in the Netherlands were also raided, along with one in Belgium.

One of the locations searched was Freshfields animal welfare centre in Ince Blundell in Merseyside. The centre manager Dave Calendar said that they had "nothing to hide" and accused police of being "heavy-handed".

Fifteen men and fifteen women were arrested in total.

A police spokesperson said that the operation was investigating "criminal activity associated with animal rights extremism".

Searches are continuing at the properties which were raided.

(KMcA/SP)

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