I WAS heartened to read that Oxford University has suffered a setback with the building of its vivisection laboratory (Evening Press, July 20).

However, I am always surprised when I see words such as "terrorists" and "extremists" used to describe animal rights campaigners.

The media seems to forget that those involved with animal experiments are not only inflicting unimaginable pain and suffering on other sentient beings, but are doing so at the expense also of us humans.

Animal experiments have never contributed to medical advancement, but have repeatedly held back vital drugs and surgical procedures; the fact that animal researchers always refuse to debate the issue on scientific grounds proves this; you have to wonder what they have to hide.

Oxford University claims 98 per cent of the experiments destined to take place will be on rodents, yet leaked documents confirmed they would be primarily involved with experiments on primates, our closest relatives.

To hide this fact suggests they are aware of how the public would feel about this. Perhaps more importantly, they are ignoring that rodents feel pain and fear just as much as do primates (both human and non-human).

For more information on the Oxford University lab, and the failings of vivisection, please see www.animalaid.org.uk

Sarah Bramley,

Gordon Street, York.

Updated: 11:15 Wednesday, July 28, 2004