TWO of the world’s biggest drug manufacturers have threatened to withdraw new research and development investment from Britain unless the Government cracks down on animal militants.

The heads of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca warned the Prime Minister at a private meeting that they would not “spend another pound” on new facilities unless there is stringent action.

GSK spends more than £1 billion a year — £3 million a day — in Britain. The Times has learnt that J. P. Garnier, GSK’s chief executive, and Sir Tom McKillop, head of AstraZeneca, made their feelings known to Tony Blair at a meeting in May.

The Government announced new legislation in July, a move that was welcomed as a “step in the right direction” by the pharmaceutical industry.

Sir Tom told The Times last night that it was accepted that the Government was seriously worried about animal rights extremism but that enforcement of new legislation remained a problem.

“At regular meetings with ministers, we have said that we cannot continue to function unless you deal with the animal rights issue,” he said. “The implications economically are desperately serious.”

A spokesman for GSK said that all conversations between Dr Garnier and the Government were strictly private.

Aisling Burnand, chief executive of the BioIndustry Association, said that last weekend’s “training camp” for animal rights activists proved that extremists were intent on maintaining pressure on the industries. “The new measures must work because otherwise research in the UK faces a bleak future,” she said.

Huntingdon Life Sciences, the biggest victim of animal rights terrorism, told The Times yesterday that the campaign of violence was waged by only about 20 extremists. Its statement boosts claims by most campaigners that the cause is being blackened by a small number of terrorists.

A spokesman for HLS said that there were about 1,000 animal rights campaigners in the UK, of whom around 200 would take part in legal demonstrations and protests.

“There are only about 20 who will engage in the really nasty work,” he said. “And there are only about five really evil bastards, of which three are currently in prison.”

GSK said yesterday that new investment in the UK fluctuates, but that it had spent £70 million in the past nine months on centres in Harlow, Essex, and Hammersmith, West London.

The companies’ threat coincides with legal action against extremists by Oxford University, which is seeking a High Court injunction to protect students, staff, alumni, colleges and facilities from intimidation and violence. If successful, only one demonstration a week would be allowed.

The university became the target of an increasingly violent campaign in July, when activists halted construction of an £18 million research laboratory by threatening the shareholders of the construction company. No contractor has yet been found to continue the project.

If GSK and AstraZeneca stop investing in research and development in the UK, it would be devastating for Gordon Brown. Four years ago, he placed research and development at the centre of his drive to create a knowledge-based economy.

Pharmaceutical companies contribute £6.7 billion to Britain’s gross domestic product and £12 billion in exports.

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