PEOPLE employed in animal testing were last night urged "to hang in there" until laws introduced last month to tackle campaigns of intimidation and harassment take effect.
More than 500 leading UK scientists and doctors signed a declaration published yesterday by the Research Defence Society (RDS), in which they pledged their support for animal testing.
It said the Government had shown a strong commitment to dealing with offenders and was confident the tide would turn against extremists.
The list of signatories includes 11 from this region, the most prominent of whom is Professor Sir Miles Irving, chairman of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust.
It also includes Prof Martin Eccles, Prof Gary Ford, Prof CD Ingram, Dr MS Jackson, Dr Simon Thomas and Prof Oliver James, all of Newcastle University, Prof Belinda Bullard and Prof Ian Morris, of the University of York; Dr Tony Markham, of the University of Sunderland, and Dr Niall Keaney, of City Hospitals, Sunderland.
The Declaration on Animals in Medical Research aims to highlight the medical and scientific benefits of animal experiments, while also stating that scientists should make every effort to safeguard animal welfare and minimise suffering.
It came a day after the owners of a guinea pig breeding farm in Newchurch, Staffordshire, announced plans to close at the end of the year.
They hope the decision will prompt grave-robbers to return the body of 82-year-old Gladys Hammond, which was stolen from a churchyard.
Mrs Hammond was the mother-in-law of Christopher Hall, who co-owns the farm.
Dr Simon Festing, executive director of the RDS, said: "Our message to companies and others involved in this field is 'please hang in there'."
Prof John Burn, of the Newcastle Centre for Life's Institute of Human Genetics, said its animals were subject to strict checks and monitoring.
He said he supported the declaration in spirit although he had not signed it, and it was crucial such work continued.
Dr Keaney said he signed the declaration because he felt strongly research involving live animals should be allowed to continue without fear of harassment or intimidation.
"Many, many advances in human medicine would not have been possible without doing animal experiments."
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