A COMPANY at the centre of a campaign of terror from animal rights activists has secured a continuation of an injunction preventing shareholders' details being made public.

GlaxoSmithKline yesterday secured the order which prevents campaigners from listing on a website the names and addresses of people who refuse to sell their shares.

The High Court injunction will last until trial or further order pending further police investigations.

The pharmaceuticals company said about 50 shareholders - including some in the North-East and in North Yorkshire - have been targeted over its work with medical research group Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS).

A threatening letter was sent by an unknown group claiming to have been set up to hold Huntingdon Life Sciences accountable for its acts of animal cruelty.

Glaxo - which has a plant in Barnard Castle, County Durham, employing 1,150 people - has condemned the letter as intimidation.

Mr Justice Cooke, sitting in London yesterday, continued the injunction, which was first obtained two weeks ago.

Glaxo has said that it would continue to work with HLS as long as it continued to meet its high standards of animal welfare in line with Home Office requirements.

Earlier this month, The Northern Echo revealed that shareholders in the region had been targeted by the extremist group.

Police forces in the region confirmed they had received reports from worried investors who had been sent the letters.