Seven hundred police and support staff launched Britain’s biggest operation against animal rights extremists yesterday and made 32 arrests in dawn raids.

Thirty-two addresses in Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium were targeted after a two-year investigation linked to attacks on scientists, businessmen and firms including Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Companies that trade with Huntingdon Life Sciences have become the target of extremism, with militants vandalising houses and cars. Business leaders have also been targeted by the campaigners against animal testing.

Police sources said that the arrests included a number of senior figures in the network of animal extremist groups. They are thought to include Greg Avery, a founder member of the campaign group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (Shac), and his wife, Natasha.

The suspects were questioned at police stations across Britain on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy to blackmail and offences against animal research centres.

The raids were led by Kent and Hampshire police and involved ten other forces, as well as police on the Continent.

Adrian Leppard, the Assistant Chief Constable of Kent Police, said: “Animal rights extremists have conducted sustained campaigns of harassment and intimidation against the animal research industry, seeking to achieve their objectives by creating a climate of fear.

“The victims of animal rights extremism are not only companies or universities. It is employees along with their families, friends and neighbours who are often targeted in their own homes. The impact of these personalised campaigns on individuals is deeply distressing.”

Mr Leppard said that the arrests took place in Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Greater London, Merseyside, Worcestershire, Lancashire, Northumbria and Yorkshire. There were no arrests in the Netherlands or Belgium. Of the 15 men and 17 women held, 27 remained in custody and were being questioned.

Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre in Merseyside was among the places raided. The centre, which has been established for more than 25 years, takes in unwanted animals from across the region.

Dave Calendar, who runs the centre, claimed that some of his staff were injured by police.

He said: “The police arrived at about 6am and they refused all our offers of cooperation. They have been extremely heavy-handed, and the welfare of the animals does not seem to bother them.”

Huntingdon Life Sciences has long been a focus of demonstrations and protesters have repeatedly broken into the the laboratory, which is Europe’s biggest commercial animal testing laboratory.

Extremists have fire-bombed cars and subjected staff and shareholders to intimidation and threats. Companies that trade with Huntingdon Life Sciences have also been the target of extremism, with militants vandalising houses and cars.

Shac has been behind a long-running campaign to close the animal research centre, which was founded in 1952 and is now an international business.

A spokesman for Huntingdon Life Sciences welcomed the police operation. He said: “It seems that because the company and staff of Huntingdon Life Sciences have been so resilient, the extremists have moved on to suppliers and stakeholders in a bid to coerce people into changing who they do business with.”

Police search teams seized documents, mobile telephones, computers and about £100,000 in cash.

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