ANIMAL rights activists staged a demonstration in support of a hunger-striking colleague outside the constituency office of Home Secretary Jack Straw.

Twenty demonstrators gathered outside the Blackburn MP's chambers in Richmond Terrace to mark the 17th day of campaigner Barry Horne's protest - and accuse the Labour party of breaking election promises.

Kelly Ledson, spokesman for the North West Campaign Against Animal Experiments, claimed Mr Horne had ended a previous hunger strike before the election after Labour promised to investigate the need for animal experiments.

She added: "Yet again Labour have backed down on pre-election promises, lying about animal experiments in the same way that they deceived the public that they would ban bloodsports."

Mr Straw was not in Blackburn during the demonstration.

A spokesman for Home Office said that the points raised were "not manifesto pledges" but may have been included in Labour party campaign literature.

She added: "The Government would welcome a point in time when experiments are no longer necessary. They are looking for other forms.

"But the priority is human safety."

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