Prof John Stein: new lab will house troops of monkeys

Oxford University's tactics at attempting to swing public opinion in favour of vivisection and thus the new laboratory project have taken a new twist. Yet another apologist for vivisection - himself a vivisector - has been wheeled out to explain why the torture of animals is necessary, scientifically valid and ethical.

The latest character in the showcase to come out of the woodwork is Neurophysiologist Professor John Stein, brother of celebrity chef Rick Stein. In an article in the Oxford Mail, Stein has this to say: "If activists really cared about animals they would support the development."(!)

His statements seem to refute rather than support what the University itself has been saying, namely that 98% of the animals to be used at the new facility will be rodents, for he further states that "At the moment, some university departments are just not big enough to house the monkeys in troops, where they can socialise together." Whoops, John! Shot yourself in the foot there. How's it doing? So, just to be clear - the facility IS in fact intended for primates, then, so that they can be housed in colonies? Thanks for clarifying that for us. Err - in order to house primates in troops, large areas of the new facility will have to be made available for the use of primates! Does he and other Oxford University think the public, the people of Oxford, the University staff and students unconnected with animal experimentation have such short memories that they will have forgotten the original assertions that (a), the facility was not intended for vivisection at all and that (b), their subsequent insistence, having been scuppered on the original lie, that it was not intended for primate use.

Oh dear, the more you talk - the bigger the hole you dig for both yourself and the University authorities. Professor Stein comments that: "We can record from the brain absolutely painlessly. It causes them no pain or stress. Monkeys are keen to do things and are very good at and get excited about playing games... They have a life of Riley compared to animals in the wild. Wild rhesus monkeys live to about 12, but some of ours are 25-30. Would you want to spend your days worrying about whether you're about to have your head bitten off by a baboon, or would you prefer watching telly?" I think we all know the answer to that rhetorical question, but for those like the venerable Professor who don't actually appear to understand the concept of freedom, freedom of choice and freedom from years of suffering and torture, I think one can safely answer: NO!

One may be forgiven for believing that there is an element of panic in his comments as he goes onto say: "They love watching television, and I have been told they prefer soap operas. I don't know if this is just my colleagues anthropomorphising, but I've seen them spellbound by arguments on soap operas."

Well, Professor Stein, we continue to be spellbound by the Oxford University soap opera and simply can't wait for the next instalment!

That on that subject. Now let's actually see what type of experiments the Professor does. They definitely seem to contradict the rosy picture we've just been painted; far from causing no pain he has been responsible for inflicting the most horrific suffering on innocent creatures.

In one experiment that Stein was involved in, macaque monkeys had electrodes and thin steel tubes implanted deep in their brains. It is a procedure which involves "substantial suffering". One anaesthetised 5 year old macaque monkey weighing 4.5kg had an electrode implanted into the brain. Three weeks later, the electrode was activated to study the effects of electrical stimulation at different frequencies. In further experiments, two more macaque monkeys had thin steel tubes (cannulas) implanted into their heads; two weeks after surgery, chemical substances were injected into one of the monkey's brains. This had the effect of severely restricting normal body movement. Finally, both monkeys were injected intravenously with a compound called MPTP. This was designed to restrict normal body movement still further and the effects were so severe that the monkeys required intensive nursing. At the end of the experiment, the results of which were published in 2002, the animals were killed and their brains examined. Stein has gone on to carry out many more such experiments since.

Academics specialising in animal experimentation who sit in their "Ivory Towers" closeted from reality and contemptuous of any who may question them are guilty of abusing public trust. With their masters in Government, they have set out to deceive not just the general public in Oxford but throughout the UK and what is worse, they are playing on peoples fears that one day anyone of us may get a life threatening disease and that their work will find a cure.

Tony Blair, Lord Sainsbury, Tipu Aziz, Colin Blakemore and today John Stein - all of whom have attempted to hoodwink the British Public, shame on you!

We are not frightened or discouraged by the game you are playing, for we are seeing a slow but steady change in the way the public are beginning to recognise that maybe we aren't telling lies, despite all your best efforts to slur us. We are not going away and we intend to make you responsible for your duplicity in both the abuse of animals and the lies you are telling the British Public.