In 1984 a group of volunteers entered a small huddle of buildings in a sleepy
Hampshire town. Inside the facility they found beagle puppies undergoing
experimentation. Wickham Laboratories has long been the centre of scandal
and of outrage. The campaigners who exposed the suffering of the beagles
were there to find something else. It was their aim to expose the links
between the stolen pet trade, and vivisection.

An earlier investigation at the Royal College of Surgeons had shown that a
wide variety of dogs, which were clearly not purpose bred, were being
supplied by a company called APT. The director of this company, Mr David
Walker, was also a director of Wickham Labs. When the dogs were approached
many of them were able to respond to commands such as 'sit' and 'lie down'.

As if they had not caused enough of an uproar through their implications in
the ex-pet trade, David Walker proceeded to publicly call on the RSPCA to
hand over their stray dogs to animal testing laboratories.

William Cartmell, the owner of Wickham is a practicing vet. You may think
this would suggest he has concerns for animal welfare. This could not be
further from the truth. As well as running a veterinary practice from the
same site as the laboratory, Cartmell also operated a boarding kennels, once
again on the same site as the lab. In the past it has been reported that
pets not picked up on time were used in experiments.

In 1984 Wickham applied for permission to build a beagle-breeding unit, which
was refused but they were later given permission to use one of the buildings
on the site for an expansion of the work being carried out at the labs. In
2002, Mr. Cartmell submitted plans to build a state-of-the-art laboratory at
Torbay Farm, which was refused after going to appeal. A further application
to have the land designated for "research and development" has also recently
been refused. All these attempts have met with tough opposition from the
local people at Lower Upham, who do not wish to see the ugly face of
vivisection rearing its head in their peaceful village.

In 1991 Wickham were exposed again. This time, an ex-police officer got a job
working inside the laboratory undercover. He showed evidence of the
suffering of over 70,000 animals every year inside Wickham. The footage that
he recovered documented row upon row of rabbits, lined up in stocks
undergoing the notorious draize eye test, which involved dripping noxious
substances into the rabbits eyes. The reason that rabbits are used in this
test is that they do not naturally produce tears. This means that they are
unable to wash the substance out of their eyes.

It comes as no surprise that Wickham have always been very secretive about
the types of experiments that they carry out, and refuse to reveal what they
are testing. Their website simple states that they specialise in
Microbiology, Analytical Chemistry, Toxicology, Biocompatibility, and
Virology. This may all sound very impressive but we have discovered that
they last three on the list have been used to produce a fungicide for
DuPont. This fungicide is not in fact for the benefit of human health but
for the benefit of another animal abusing industry... the game shooting
industry. Captive game-birds are given this fungicide to ensure that they
have no contact with any natural entities, before they are released into the
wild and shot down. Analytical Chemistry is used by Wickham to test the
nutritional qualities of factory farmed meat.

The most recent expose of Wickham was in December 2003, when animal care
volunteers entered the laboratories, and revealed that tests were being
carried out using a highly controversial, and partially banned LD50 test to
test BOTOX.

Please remember that the only information that ever comes out of Wickham Labs
comes from members of the public who have covertly entered the premises and
removed the evidence themselves. The information we have is only the tip of
the iceberg. For every scandal, and every cruel experiment, there are
countless thousands of others taking place without anyone observing, except
for those who wield the scalpels.

BOTOX EXPOSE
In December 2003, animal care volunteers exposed Wickham Labs for its role in
the testing of Botox using the notorious and partially banned LD50 test.
Paperwork removed from the lab shows that up-to 600 mice are killed every
day just for Botox. Paperwork also revealed that rats and guinea pigs are
also being tested on. Countless more animals are killed in other research.

A whistle blower, who had in depth knowledge of Wickham's secretive empire
informed animal care workers that they were wrong in thinking that cosmetics
tests were no longer being carried out in the UK. He went on to explain what
was happening at Wickham. He also told the campaigners the layout of the
laboratory, details of the labs security and that paperwork documenting
these tests were inside one of the animal units.

Copies of the documents taken in the raid were anonymously leaked to SWAT.

These documents are a catalogue of suffering and death. They detail the lives
of thousands of mice being poisoned to death by Botulinum Toxin (BT) - also
known as Dysport. These experiments are being carried out for Ipsen
Biopharm.

'Botox' is the generic name given to Botulinum toxin (BT) when used for
cosmetic procedures. Botox, or BT contains human albumin, a human blood
product, which according to the paperwork carries the risk of transmitting a
viral infection. When used for cosmetic purposes, Botox is used to smooth
out wrinkles to reduce the signs of ageing.

Dysport is currently being manufactured at the Health Protection Agency's
facility at Porton Down. Porton is a Government owned animal testing
facility, which is also embroiled in scandal. The product is then sold
around the world for both cosmetic and theraputic purposes by Ipsen
Biopharm. Although Wickham deny any involvement in cosmetic testing, a
spokesman for Ipsen told the Daily Mail, who broke the story, "We estimate
that 80% of Dysport is used for medical applications, and 20% for cosmetic.
Botox is probably higher in terms of cosmetic use.' It has also been
revealed that due to the nature of BT, every single batch of Botox that goes
on the market is tested on animals.

Wickham labs inject Botox into the stomachs of hundreds of baby mice each
day. The Botox primarily freezes their muscles; the mice also suffer loss of
vision and seizures, until the diaphragm becomes so paralysed that
eventually the animals suffocate. The LD50 test is being used to test Botox,
this involves taking a large group of animals which are injected with a
poison (in this case Botox) directly into the stomach. The dose is gradually
increased until half of the animals have died. The paperwork shows that the
surviving half are then either gassed to death or killed by cervical
dislocation (i.e. the laboratory workers snap their necks in two).

The LD50 test is the most severe form of poisoning and causes great
suffering. It was partially banned by the Government in 1999 following a
legal challenge from the BUAV , the government announced that the LD50 would
no longer be licensed except on "exceptional scientific grounds" and they
have acknowledged the test as a 'severe procedure'. Following this partial
ban there was a rapid decrease in the overall number of LD50 tests carried
out but what is worrying now is that numbers are reported to have risen
significantly over the last two years in line with the surge in popularity
of botox injections. Home Office figures also show that there has been a
sharp increase in mice used in animal experiments in the last few years.

Botox has already been tested on a range of animals from mice to monkeys, and
humans have been using it for years, but research has revealed that every
single batch of Botox that goes on the market is being tested on mice due to
the fluctuation in potency of each batch. A battery of non-animal tests is
already in existence, which should replace the animal-poisoning tests.

Wickham still remain very secretive about their work claiming 'client'
confidentiality', in a recent court case a Wickham worker claimed firstly
that he did not know what he was testing, he went on to say that he didn't
realise that Botulin Toxin was another term for Botox. He then claimed that
Botox was not used in the UK for cosmetic procedures (which it is). This
same worker was asked whether by law he had to use animals to test Botox...
He didn't know! Which suggests to us, that Wickham have not even considered
an alternative, humane way to test BT... and that animal experiments are not
being used 'only where no other way exists.' Another Wickham worker tried to
deny that the LD50 test was being used at all, until evidence was produced
showing the contrary.

Botox is not just harmful to animals. The reason that every batch going on to
the market is being tested, is because it is a very poisonous toxin. Once it
has gone on to the commercial market, it is not even monitored. Botox users
have suffered inflammation, sagging skin, and in extreme circumstances full
body paralysis. Portsmouth MP Mike Hancock has publicly called on the
reigning in of such a controversial, unregulated procedures, which pose
clear health dangers to humans, and of course the animals who die to produce
them.


ACTIVIST IMPRISONED IN WICKHAM TRIAL

On Friday 29th April 2005, Keith Mann was sentenced to 6 months for contempt
of court, just after receiving a community punishment order for a raid on
Wickham Laboratories in Hampshire.

Mr Mann was given detailed evidence of unlawful cosmetic experiments being
conducted inside Wickham Labs. The informant wished to remain anonymous, but
went on to explain in depth the security systems at the lab.

Following up from this, Mr Mann went to look at the laboratory, and found it
to be exactly as the whistle-blower had described. He planned a raid on the
facility in order to publicly expose Wickham, which ultimately ended in the
liberation of 700 mice, and substantial paper work. As promised, the
paperwork showed that Wickham were testing a substance called Botulin Toxin
(BOTOX) for Ipsen Biopharm. Ipsen have publicly stated that a proportion of
their Botulin Toxin is used in cosmetic procedures.

Unfortunately for Mr Mann, and the rescued mice, he was arrested, most of the
mice were recovered, and Keith ended up in court with co defendant Melvyn
Glintenkamp. Throughout the trial. the judge repeatedly refused to allow
evidence which would show that Wickham were testing unlawfully. Any mention
of Wickhams past of using ex-pets in experiments was also silenced.

Another shocking detail revealed in the paperwork is the use of the notorious
Lethal Dose 50 test (LD50). This involves injecting a toxic substance into
the stomachs of a batch of animals and increasing the dose until half have
died. The surviving half are then immediately gassed or have their necks
broken. This practice which is heavily criticised by scientists was
partially banned in 1999, except in the 'most exceptional circumstances'.

The Judge was eager to imprison Mr Mann, but do to his role as a full time
carer, and a glowing parole report, he was obliged to give him a community
service order.

As Keith was leaving the court, obviously delighted with the result, the
technical director of Wickham Labs, a very angry looking, Mr. Bishop,
muttered to Mr Mann "We'll get you lot next time". Mr Mann responded, "Your
troubles have only just started". Mr. Bishop went into a customary frenzy,
and started screaming and ranting. Mr Mann was brought back into court,
where he explained that he had not intended to threaten Mr Bishop, and that
he meant when the public found out about the Botox testing the lab would be
in trouble through the negative publicity.

The judge ignored the explanation, gave Keith no chance to apologise, and was
delighted to sentence him to 6 months for contempt of court. Mr. Bishops
provocation was over looked, and his blatant lie that Keith had warned him
to 'look under your bed' was swallowed by the judge. Keith himself has
stated that he does not understand what such an obscure, and rather unlikely
threat would even mean!

As usual the media have run wild with this. Articles have appeared in most
newspapers in an attempt to slam Mr Mann and turn the public against the
animal rights movement. The articles have all been very biased,
concentrating largely on the past and Mr Mann's criminal record, dating back
some 15 years. Mr Mann has not been convicted for any offences which were
violent and he has never threatened life, or physically harmed another
being. Many papers have reported that, according to a high court judge, "Mr.
Mann carried out a terrorist style campaign against the meat industry". They
have not noted the fact that the judge in question was a retired meat
farmer, with strong pro-bloodsports views, and that unlike genuine
terrorists, Keith Mann has never hurt anybody, nor would he ever.

Despite the fervour of journalists digging into the past, Wickham's very
dubious past has not been touched upon. We recommend that in future,
journalists direct their attention in that direction. It was widely reported
several years ago, that a Wickham Director called upon the RSPCA to hand its
stray dogs over to the vivisection industry - needless to say this is just
the tip of the iceberg. A raid on the Royal College of Surgeons showed that
this Director also ran a company (APT) who supplied mongrel dogs to labs.
Even to the most casual observer, these dogs were ex-pets.


For more on the campaign to shut down this torture camp see
www.swatonline.co.uk