Charities are attacked over experiments experiments

A CAMPAIGN was launched yesterday to boycott four leading charities accused of supporting "horrific" animal experiments.

Welfare group Animal Aid is urging members of the public to halt donations to Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, the Alzheimer's Society and Parkinson's UK.

The organisation yesterday published a report, Victims of Charity, highlighting charity-funded tests that were said to cause "appalling suffering".

Examples included damaging the brains of monkeys with toxic chemicals, slowly destroying dogs' hearts, grafting cancer into animals and the use of diseased, genetically engineered "mutants".

Director Andrew Tyler said: "The British public do not like the idea of animals enduring great suffering to no purpose, and Victims of Charity argues that this is precisely what is happening."

Dr David Scott, director of science funding at Cancer Research UK, said: "In certain areas, research involving animals remains essential."

Peter Hollins, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: "Our research has contributed to incredible medical advances."