Wickham Laboratories Ltd are a contract animal testing laboratory based in Hampshire. They sell themselves as 'working for man and animals' and yet they force poisons into animals that generate results which cannot be applied safely to people. They carry out toxicity testing for products and ingredients of cosmetics, food and drugs for companies who do not have the facilities or any desire to have direct links to vivisection.

During the evening of December 13th 2003 the Animal Liberation Front broke in through the roof of Wickham Labs and rescued over 600 mice from cruel, painful experiments. They also obtained numerous files and other material containing sensitive details and customer information. This paperwork confirmed that some of the mice had already been subjected to poisoning tests but many of the others were still waiting in line to begin theirs. The paperwork also contained personal e-mail addresses, internal phone numbers and other private documentation. This will be released at a later date.

Wickham force their poisons upon mice, rats, rabbits and guinea pigs. One experiment was using Lepticur for Patheon UK Ltd, one of Swindon's top companies (Patheon UK Ltd, Kingfisher Drive, Covingham, Swindon, SN3 5B7). It killed all the mice within 48 hours. The rats and mice they use are supplied and delivered regularly by the Kent based animal supply company 'Charles Rive' based near Manston Airport in Kent.

Rabbits and Guinea pigs are supplied by their main competitor in the field, Harlan UK (01869 243241)

For those who survive the poison there is no choice between cervical dislocation, lethal injection or carbon monoxide poisoning. It is little reward for the purported contribution to human health and well being for which several billion animals have been abused in secret, worldwide in the last century. In just one day, December 12th, the day prior to the raid, one Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Record from Wickham shows that over 600 mice were either gassed or had their necks broken.

Wickham have been exposed before, back in 1984 beagle dogs were rescued from the same site by an ALF team and in 1991 an undercover investigator worked in the labs and revealed the horror of life for 70,000 animals a year in a laboratory run by a veterinary surgeon, whose duty is supposed relieve suffering and promote compassion.
William Cartell operates a veterinary practice from the site at Wickham giving the impression that animals are cared for there, but behind the scenes things couldn't be more wrong. The same site is also used as boarding kennels. Wickham used to keep dogs that weren't collected on time and use them in experiments- but fortunately the law no longer allows them to.

There is little in the way of compassion at Wickham Labs; director David Walker, who is also a vet at Wickham once called publicly for the RSPCA to release its stray dogs for vivisectors to use.

Some of the mice rescued had already been injected with a test product for Ispen Biopharm Ltd (Ash Road, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL13 9UF). They were testing Dysport or Botulinum Toxin, better known as Botox. Dysport has been licenced for use on people since around 1987. It has already been tested on mice and monkeys as well as being used by people, so one would assume its safe! Of one batch of 32 4-6 week old female mice poisoned by Wickham in a mouse potency test of Botox, just 19 were still alive to be recovered by the ALF on the third day of the experiment. Twenty were alive in another batch. All this proves is that Botox is unsafe for mice! Nothing can be learned about the short or long time side effects on any other species including people!

Unfortunately an operation led by Hampshire Police led to the recovery of the majority of rescued mice a few days after the raid. A number of people have been arrested, properties searched and items seized. One arrest involved a surveillance team of a dozen or more detectives. Surveillance and eavesdropping continues, but documents and almost 40 mice are safe in loving homes and as yet no one has been charged with an offence.

An officer involved in the operation was approached regarding the welfare of the recovered mice, he said, "They are being well cared for and looked after". Wickham Labs who were the safe refuge that Hampshire Police took them to said, "They've gone the way of the rest of 'em", which seems more likely. At least they weren't subjected to prolonged suffering, although the other options are hardly attractive.

Wickham Labs are currently re-applying for planning permission to extend their operation on a factory farm site that they own outside Wickham at Lower Upham, where much more testing would be carried out. One of a handful or such operations in the UK, Wickham hopes to take more work from the crumbling leader in this field, Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Release and share this information. It is in the interest of all but those inside Wickham and supplying them with the wherewithal to exist that questions are asked and action is taken."

Southern Animal Rights Coalition:  http://www.sarconline.co.uk/

Wickham Laboratories Limited
Winchester Road
Wickham
Fareham
Hampshire
PO17 5EU

Tel:01329 832511
Fax:01329 834262

www.wickhamlabs.co.uk
 mail@wickhamlabs.co.uk
 enquiries@wickhamlabs.co.uk