By Ted JeoryA HAULAGE company is being targeted by animal rights activists who claimed to have seen it making a delivery to a business involved in vivisection.

By Ted Jeory

A HAULAGE company is being targeted by animal rights activists who claimed to have seen it making a delivery to a business involved in vivisection.

Campaigners from the People Against Cruelty to Animals (PACA) have published the name and address of Colchester-based hauliers B and E Hamblion (Transport) Ltd on the internet.

It also asked supporters to flood the company with letters and e-mails to “question their ethics”.

But the company's owner, Paul Hamblion, said he was against animal testing and added he “just wants to earn a living”.

The activists targeted the Colchester firm after demonstrators protesting outside a Herefordshire laboratory in January claimed to have seen a Hamblion truck entering the complex.

As part of its campaign against the laboratory owners, Sequani Ltd, PACA urged all suppliers to sever business links as a “matter of conscience”.

A spokesman for PACA said: “Hamblion were seen entering and leaving Sequani on the afternoon of January 12 in one of their huge freight lorries.

“They have been contacted numerous times via e-mail and letter regarding their dealings with the vivisectors, but refuse to reply.

“We ask companies that deal with Sequani to examine their ethics and to sever their links with animal cruelty as an act of compassion.

“Anyone spotted dealing with Sequani Ltd immediately becomes a target in our campaign as they are helping supply and maintain their vile industry.”

But Mr Hamblion said he had no direct contract with Sequani's operations in Ledbury and added deliveries had been made on behalf of another client.

“We're a third party. It's not our goods we deliver - we're nothing to do with the product,” he said. “We have a contract to pick up from our client in Colchester at a central point and are told to deliver to an end destination.

“I've seen a fax from these animal people. It's not blackmail, but I've put it to one side in case there's any trouble.

“I don't like animal testing and I'd rather keep a low profile. I just want to earn a living. I don't know what we are delivering.

“If it was hazardous we'd have to know, but sometimes we just pick up a load of palettes and we wouldn't have a clue what was in them - it could be toilet rolls or baked beans for all I know.”

A spokesman for Sequani Ltd said: “We test on animals for new human and veterinarian drugs.

“We test mostly on mice, rats as well as a few rabbits and dogs. We give them small dose injections and occasionally put drugs in their diets. It's fairly low-grade stuff and we certainly don't cut them open while they're alive.

“We get lots of deliveries from all over the country from different transport companies, but we do not have any account with Hamblion directly, although they could be being used by someone else.”

ted.jeory@eadt.co.uk