'Clampdown' on animal activists'
Huntingdon Life Sciences has been the focus of activists' protests
Animal rights activists could face five years in jail for targeting firms who do business with animal research facilities under new government plans.
The amendment to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill covers suppliers such as construction firms or cleaners working for animal research firms.
Measures to stop harassment of animal research facilities and their employees are already in the bill.
Campaigners say the government's proposed laws are not justified.
'Right response'
The amended bill would make it a criminal offence to cause "economic damage" through campaigns of intimidation.
The plans already in the bill include giving police powers to arrest anyone protesting outside the homes of scientists - and the power to ban them from returning to a specified home for three months.
Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt told BBC News: "We can't have these extremists going way beyond the bounds of peaceful protest into these vicious campaigns of intimidation which have not been stopped by individual laws."
She added: "The simple fact is attacks by animal rights extremists put medical breakthroughs in areas like Aids, cancer and Alzheimer's directly at risk."
Does this mean that people who are being harassed in other walks of life - such as a woman who is being stalked - are less important?
Ms Hewitt said the new law would not affect people's "important right" to peaceful protest but would "crack down hard" on extremists committing crimes.
And she rejected suggestions by Home Office Minister Hazel Blears that new control orders to put terror suspects under house arrest would apply to animal activists, saying it was a "completely separate issue".
Greg Avery, a spokesman for anti-vivisection pressure group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, said: "The government is bringing in laws to protect people who murder animals.
"Does this mean that people who are being harassed in other walks of life - such as a woman who is being stalked - are less important?"
The powers to take action against attacks on companies in the supply chain, covers company employees, their relatives, business suppliers, plus charity shops and universities.
Grave disturbance
The government plans follow attacks on centres such as the Huntingdon Life Sciences and a farm in east Staffordshire where guinea pigs are bred for medical research.
Police recorded over 450 incidents at Newchurch farm, owned by the Hall family at Darley Oaks, between February 2003 and last month.
The most recent attack involved stealing the remains of Christopher Hall's mother-in-law, Gladys Hammond, 82, from her grave.
Activists also launched more than 100 attacks, including car vandalism and painting graffiti, on the homes of Huntingdon Life Science laboratory workers last year.
Suppliers have also been targeted - last year work on Oxford University's new testing laboratory had to be halted after contractors complained they had been harassed and intimidated by animal rights activists.
Medical Research Council chief executive Professor Colin Blakemore welcomed the announcement, saying: "It is essential that researchers and those working with them are able to carry out their work without fear of intimidation."
Huntingdon Life Sciences has been the focus of activists' protests
Animal rights activists could face five years in jail for targeting firms who do business with animal research facilities under new government plans.
The amendment to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill covers suppliers such as construction firms or cleaners working for animal research firms.
Measures to stop harassment of animal research facilities and their employees are already in the bill.
Campaigners say the government's proposed laws are not justified.
'Right response'
The amended bill would make it a criminal offence to cause "economic damage" through campaigns of intimidation.
The plans already in the bill include giving police powers to arrest anyone protesting outside the homes of scientists - and the power to ban them from returning to a specified home for three months.
Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt told BBC News: "We can't have these extremists going way beyond the bounds of peaceful protest into these vicious campaigns of intimidation which have not been stopped by individual laws."
She added: "The simple fact is attacks by animal rights extremists put medical breakthroughs in areas like Aids, cancer and Alzheimer's directly at risk."
Does this mean that people who are being harassed in other walks of life - such as a woman who is being stalked - are less important?
Ms Hewitt said the new law would not affect people's "important right" to peaceful protest but would "crack down hard" on extremists committing crimes.
And she rejected suggestions by Home Office Minister Hazel Blears that new control orders to put terror suspects under house arrest would apply to animal activists, saying it was a "completely separate issue".
Greg Avery, a spokesman for anti-vivisection pressure group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, said: "The government is bringing in laws to protect people who murder animals.
"Does this mean that people who are being harassed in other walks of life - such as a woman who is being stalked - are less important?"
The powers to take action against attacks on companies in the supply chain, covers company employees, their relatives, business suppliers, plus charity shops and universities.
Grave disturbance
The government plans follow attacks on centres such as the Huntingdon Life Sciences and a farm in east Staffordshire where guinea pigs are bred for medical research.
Police recorded over 450 incidents at Newchurch farm, owned by the Hall family at Darley Oaks, between February 2003 and last month.
The most recent attack involved stealing the remains of Christopher Hall's mother-in-law, Gladys Hammond, 82, from her grave.
Activists also launched more than 100 attacks, including car vandalism and painting graffiti, on the homes of Huntingdon Life Science laboratory workers last year.
Suppliers have also been targeted - last year work on Oxford University's new testing laboratory had to be halted after contractors complained they had been harassed and intimidated by animal rights activists.
Medical Research Council chief executive Professor Colin Blakemore welcomed the announcement, saying: "It is essential that researchers and those working with them are able to carry out their work without fear of intimidation."
