The firm came close to bankruptcy last month under pressure from activists, when several investors sold their stakes over fears of fire-bomb attacks and death threats to employees. Company spokesman Jim Baxter said the nature of the attacks against Huntingdon had changed since activists first began targetting the company 18 months ago. He said eleven cars belonging to employees were firebombed last year, but an attack on a senior member of staff at Christmas was the first on an individual. All Huntingdon employees have been given security advice by police. Robin Webb of the Animal Liberatin Front said his organisation had not been behind the attack on Cass.
Animal testing is required by law before drugs get to market.
The attack happened as he arrived home in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, yesterday evening. Neighbours who tried to help Mr Cass were sprayed with CS gas. Mr Cass was beaten about the head and upper body, and suffered an arm injury as he tried to defend himself. He was taken to Hunchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon, where several stitches were put into a head wound, and was later released. Such escalation in extremist attacks shows the need for government action to protect scientists from animal rights extremism.