ANIMAL-RIGHTS activists have been banned from collecting donations in the North, amid fears the money would be used to support criminal attacks.

Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty had applied to Sunderland City Council for permission to hold street collections on football match days in the city.

The group has been the focus of numerous police investigations for targeting Huntingdon Life Sciences, a company which tests medicines and chemicals on animals, officers said yesterday.

Police told councillors at a meeting yesterday that the group has committed thousands of crimes as members seek to close down the Cambridgeshire research company.

Licensing officer PC Michael Butler said the police were strongly opposed to the application.

“In the last six years, we have not objected to any street collections that I am aware of – they have all been judged on their merits – but we have serious concerns about this one.

“The SHAC campaign, which the applicant Miss Eileen Kinghorn is a member of, has been one of harassment and intimidation, including numerous criminal acts targeting the company, its suppliers and its customers. Its criminal acts have included threatening letters and hoax and improvised explosive devices.

“As a result of this, there are 25 High Court injunctions in place against SHAC.”

On her application form Miss Kinghorn, who was not at the meeting, said the money would be used to fund postal costs and telephone bills.

The council regulatory committee was told prosecutions had been brought against the leadership of the group, including conspiracy to blackmail. PC Butler said: “The company that Eileen Kinghorn represents have been responsible for 2,888 incidents against Huntingdon Life Sciences.

“They have carried out harassment, damaged property and sent 21 suspicious devices.”

Documents showed the leaflets the group wanted to hand out. These included advice on targeting companies which supply Huntingdon Life Sciences and graphic images of animals that had been tested on.

Their leaflets also provide contact details for people who work with Huntingdon Life Sciences.

PC Butler said Miss Kinghorn had misled the council on her application by stating there had never been any police investigation into the organisation.

The committee voted unanimously to reject the application.

Coun Denis Whalen said: “Given what the police have told us, I do not see how we have any choice.”