ANGRY animal rights protestors dressed up as mice outside Wickham Laboratories to stage a protest against animal testing.

About 40 demonstrators from animal rights groups across the south blocked the entrance to

the controversial laboratories in Winchester Road on Saturday.

Dressed in white with mice masks covering their faces, they waved placards with the slogan, "stop Wickham labs".

Animal rights activist Jeanette McClunan, who belongs to campaign group Fareham and Gosport Animal Rights, said they were protesting about the suffering they claim goes on inside the laboratories.

"This protest is all about bringing an end to animal testing at the laboratories," she said.

"We believe that the tests being carried out on mice and guinea pigs there are completely unnecessary.

"By dressing up and waving our banners we hope to raise public awareness that these sorts of experiments are being carried out."

The latest protest was masterminded by members of the Southern Animal Rights Coalition, which stages the event every year.

It comes after a year of regular protests staged by the Fareham and Gosport Animal Rights group, which fears Wickham Laboratories may still have expansion plans after an application to use its farm in Upham was turned down last year.

Wickham Laboratories bosses had applied for permission to change the use of Torbay Farm, in Sciviers Lane, so that tests on mice and other animals could be done there.

Managing director William Cartmell applied to Winchester City Council for retrospective planning permission as experiments on chicken's eggs had already been carried out at the Lower Upham site.

However, the city council's legal department refused Mr Cartmell's application months after councillors turned down another planning application to move and expand the laboratories at the Sciviers Lane site.

Animal Liberation Front activists have also targeted the laboratories and last year claimed responsibility for stealing 600 mice from the labs.

On that occasion, activists scaled the 10ft perimeter wall surrounding the premises before removing a ventilation cover and breaking in through the roof.

No one from Wickham Labs, which carries out tests on mice, rabbits and rats for the pharmaceutical, medical and food industries, was available for comment.