Appeal against beagle farm plans refusal

Downton Abbey star Peter Egan, who plays Lady Rose's father Shrimpie Flintshire, has backed campaigners opposed to controversial plans for a beagle farm in East Yorkshire.

The American-based owners of the exisitng facility at Grimston have announced they intend to appeal against the refusal to grant planning permission to extend the premises.

Today the TV and film star, best known for his role in the hit TV sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles, signed a petition opposing the appeal.

He said: "“I am deeply shocked that Beagles, the most docile and people friendly of all dogs, are so cruelly abused and their tender nature taken advantage of for experiments that are of no benefit to humans._

"Current science proves that animals are not able to predict the responses of human patients. So lets stop experimenting on these animals. _

"They are our companions and have done enough already to help us evolve and keep us safe in so many areas. _

"For example, protecting our borders. guiding the blind. finding survivors in disaster zones. reducing our blood pressure, not to mention the huge benefits they contribute to anyone who has an animal in their daily lives.”_

Campaigners in East Yorkshire said today that they will continue to fight expansion plans for a beagle breeding facility just north of Withernsea for as long as it takes.

The American owned B & K Universal, which supplies dogs for the UK animal testing industry, have twice had applications to expand their research and development site at Grimston turned down .

They have now submitted yet another formal appeal. Fiona Dwyer reports.

Animal rights campaigners are urging the Government to reject an appeal for a new beagle farm in Yorkshire.

The controversial plans attracted tens of thousands of objections before being turned down by East Riding Council’s planning committee last year after hearing it would blight the lives of residents in the village of Grimston.

But now the owners of the controversial animal research facility, have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. It says the new building is needed to remain competitive, safeguard existing jobs and create ten more and “improve animal welfare.”

The plans, which campaigners said would have seen as many 300 breeding dogs - each producing litters of five - housed at Grimston, saw opposition from celebrities including Ricky Gervais, naturalist Chris Packham and radio presenter Mark Radcliffe.

Jan Creamer , the Chief executive of the National Anti-Vivisection Society said: " Dogs are pumped with fertilisers, pesticides and drugs and killed after suffering in crude and painful experiments. Poisoning dogs when more sophisticated scientific methods are available is unjustifiable.

“The Government has promised to reduce the number of animal experiments, so we urge the Planning Inspectorate to once again reject Bantin & Kingman Universal’s plans to breed beagles in Yorkshire for experiments.”

But a spokesman for the Grimston operation said without the development the future of the facility “will be put in doubt - with possibly severe knock-on effects for jobs.”