“I couldn’t sit at home and not do nothing [to] bring attention to the plight of these animals.”

This week, popstar Will Young handcuffed himself to the gates of a Cambridgeshire dog-breeding centre in a protest over animal testing.

The move was in support of “Camp Beagle” and comes as animal rights protesters demand the closure of the MBR acres in Wyton, near Huntington.

Some 2,000 beagle puppies are being reared in the centre for testing and campaigners are demanding the release of the dogs and an end to the use of beagles in laboratory testing.

 The 42-year-old also held a campaign poster stating: “Cambrigdeshire famous for beagle torture thanks to MBR.”

 Young said he travelled to the demonstration “because I am a dog-lover, an animal-lover and a human-lover; I come with no hate and aggression,” BBC News reported.

The Pop Idol winner added: “People are unaware there is still animal testing in this country and it is not needed. I couldn’t sit at home and not do nothing [to] bring attention to the plight of these animals.

“All protests, all movements, need little boosts. As someone who has [fans] I couldn’t sit at home and just write another song or another book.”

 Protest against ‘inevitable torture and death’

 While Young handcuffed himself to what is described as “the gates of hell”, he later released himself after he was spoken to by police.

After leaving the site, he tweeted: “I spent today at the gates of MBR Acres in protest of their testing on beagles.

 “I wanted to raise awareness of animal testing and the fact that this is a puppy farm that farms over 2,000 beagle puppies a year to be sent out to their inevitable torture and death.”

I spent today at the gates of MBR Acres in protest of their testing on beagles. I wanted to raise awareness of animal testing and the fact that this is a puppy farm that farms over 2000 beagle puppies a year to be sent out to their inevitable torture and death. pic.twitter.com/npNM0jCk2p

— Will Young (@willyoung) November 16, 2021

Animal-rights advocates and actors Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan, who have previously called for the centre to close, applauded Young for his activism.

Gervais gave Young’s post a thumbs-up, saying: “Good man.”

Peter Egan tweeted: “Respect to Will Young. Thank you for such a committed objection to the cruelty going on at MBR Acres.”

Response

Marshall Bioresources, which runs MBR Acres, told the BBC it had a High Court injunction against protesters carrying out unlawful activities at the site.

The company said it has “no interest in stifling legitimate protest provided it is conducted lawfully and peacefully”.

“All protesters are now currently barred by the court from accessing a designated exclusion area in front of the gates to the sites to restrain the unlawful campaign of harassment, trespass and criminal damage directed against our staff, contractors, and visitors,” the Marshall Bioresources spokesperson added.

“Our business will continue to manage and run its operations in full compliance with Home Office regulations and with our normal high welfare standards.

“We remain proud of what we do every day because our work allows the progress of medicine to save millions of human and animal lives.”

• Read: Teacher ‘goes into hiding’ after horse abusing video sparks outrage

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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