PROFESSOR Colin Blakemore is concerned that he has been denied a New Year's Honour because of his controversial involvement in experimenting on animals (vivisection).

Animal Aid would certainly argue against awards being given for vivisection, not only because it is cruel, but because it does not benefit human health.

In the UK alone one animal is experimented on every 12 seconds. Animals may have their skulls opened, their brains damaged with corrosive chemicals or through surgery, and electrode implanted. They frequently suffer from seizures, vomiting, diarrhoea and tremors.

These experiments cause intense suffering and the majority are carried out with no anaesthetic whatsoever. Many animals are poisoned to death.

Monkeys, cats and dogs are used, as well as rats, mice and other animals. Last year almost 4,000 primates, more than 1,000 cats and approximately 8,000 dogs were experimented on.

Animal experiments are unethical and unhelpful, because their results cannot reliably be applied to humans. The Director of the Coalition for Medical Progress recently stated: "Animal research will never prove a new treatment will work successfully in patients."

We must stop wasting money on experiments that do hurt animals and don't help people and focus on methods that will yield benefits -- including epidemiology, clinical observation, tissue culture, and the use of sophisticated scanners and computer simulation. Only then will medical research truly advance.

Please support Animal Aid's campaign to end animal experiments by sending a donation or requesting a free action pack. Call 01732 364546, visit www.animalaid.org.uk or write to Animal Aid, The Old Chapel, Bradford Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1AW.

RICHARD MOUNTFORD,

Development Manager, Animal Aid.