Animal rights campaigners targeting research universities in the North could be jailed for up to five years, ministers have warned.
Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt yesterday said it was no longer acceptable for extremists to damage the economic interests of the region - announcing tough new sanctions for anyone caught attacking scientists and animal breeders.
It follows high-profile campaigns against animal research facilities and companies associated with them, and will ease fears Newcastle could lose out as a science city if extremists target the region.
In Staffordshire, an entire community has applied for an injunction against campaigners after they targeted Chris Hall's guinea-pig farm more than 400 times. In one attack, the protesters stole the remains of Mr Hall's mother-in-law from her grave.
Ms Hewitt though warned "no decent animal lover" should accept violence as a means of protest urging campaigners with information on violent protesters to inform the police.
"We are drawing the line between peaceful protest and lawful protest and this campaign of intimidation and violence, which I don't think any decent animal lover would expect to be taking place in Britain today," she said.
Around 300 people could be targeted under the new law, which would introduce a new criminal offence of causing "economic damage" through organised campaigns of intimidation. It will become part of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill after the Government tables amendments next week.
Ministers say it will improve police powers to protect universities, businesses supplying research facilities and company employees, and deal with recent attacks involving graffiti, hate mail, malicious phone calls, hoax bombs and arson attacks.
Ms Hewitt said: "The majority of people wanting to see a ban on animal research use peaceful methods of protest and they will realise their cause is being damaged by a minority.
"Hopefully the majority will come forward and give us whatever information they have about those other violent extremists."
Newcastle University said animal research had helped saved millions of lives through the development of treatments for many of the world's diseases. A spokeswoman said: "The UK needs legislation to ensure that the legitimate use of animals in medical research can continue, and we, therefore, support any measures to protect the security of people working in this area or in related businesses."
The maximum sentence would be five years for anyone found guilty of economic sabotage.
However activists say isolated incidents do not justify the introduction of laws banning legitimate protests, with the anti-vivisection pressure group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty saying the laws would only "protect people who murder animals".
The Tories welcomed the measures saying they were long overdue.
"For too long, company employees have had their lives made a misery by a minority of animal rights extremists, whose actions are a form of terrorism," shadow solicitor general Jonathan Djangoly said.
In December, Chancellor Gordon Brown announced plans to make Newcastle a science city along with Manchester and York. The aim is to use science to fuel regional economic growth, with the North-East already leading the field with the Centre for Life pioneering research into creating stem cells from unfertilised human eggs.
