British animal rights activists are set to stage a countryside protest despite fears they could be spreading the foot-and-mouth virus.
Police, farmers' leaders and Ministry of Agriculture officials in Britain today urged the organisers of the planned protest, against the controversial drugs testing firm Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) to postpone their action.
But a spokesman for the organising group, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), said he could see no reason why the protest, scheduled to take place at HLS's plant in Occold, Suffolk on Sunday should not go ahead.
A spokesman for the National Farmers Union (NFU)in East Anglia said the protesters risked bringing foot-and-mouth into Suffolk if they staged a demonstration.
"The less people move around the countryside at the moment the better and anyone who cares about animals should take notice of that", a spokesperson said, pointing out there is also the risk of spreading the virus to the wildlife population.
A spokesman for the British Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food echoed the NFU's sentiments. He said people are free to demonstrate but given the difficult situation in the country, he urged the protesters to postpone the demonstration.
The Suffolk police said they had asked the organisers to put off the protest but understood it will still go ahead.
A spokesman for SHAC said he did not believe that staging the protest would add significantly to the threat of spreading foot and mouth.
"We are not planning to go near any farm animals, we are planning to meet at a train station and then go on to demonstrate outside the HLS plant at Occold. We don't think there is any need to call off the demonstration."
The planned protest is the latest in a prolonged campaign against the work of Huntingdon Life Sciences. Last week the company's chief executive, Mr Brian Cass was attacked by men wielding wooden sticks near his home.
PA