Will Young handcuffed himself to the gates of a beagle breeding centre yesterday (November 16) to protest animal testing.

The Clapham resident joined campaigners at MBR Acres in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, a facility that breeds dogs for animal testing, to demand the release of the dogs inside and an end to the use of beagles in laboratory testing.

Driving two hours from London for the protest, he sat on the ground with his right wrist handcuffed to the bars. In his other hand was a poster reading: 'Cambridgeshire famous for beagle torture thanks to MBR.'

As a devoted animal lover, Young rescued two dogs, Domino and Diamond who faced euthanasia in America and is often seen around Clapham with his beloved dog Esme by his side.

Speaking to reporters at the Cambridge scene he said: "I wanted to bring attention to animal testing and the fact that this is a puppy farm that farms over 2000 beagle puppies a year to be sent out to their inevitable torture and death.

"People do not know about it in this country and that is why I've handcuffed myself to the gates."

MBR, or Marshall BioResources, is a US-based firm which breeds between 1,600 to 2,000 beagles each year, with the dogs then brought to animal testing laboratories around the UK when they are around 16 weeks old.

At the facility, the dogs are then exposed to and fed various substances to measure the effects of repeat exposure on the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart and nervous system.

Many of the beagles are killed at six months old.

UK law currently requires all new medicines be tested on two animals before being allowed on the market – one rodent and one-rodent, which is commonly a dog.

Camp Beagle has been protesting at MBR Acres since June, during which time a number of arrest have been made and MBR Acres granted an order that allows police to remove protestors from the site.

Police were seen talking to Young, after which the Evergreen singer removed his handcuffs and joined his fellow protestors.

A spokesman for MBR said: "We have stressed throughout the protest that we have no interest in stifling legitimate protest provided it is conducted lawfully and peacefully. But we remain concerned that protestors continue to conduct unlawful activities at the sites as part of their campaign including unwarranted harassment and intimidation of our staff and others."

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