It is believed that Wickham labs is still operating animal testing at both its sites, the original Wickham labs site and now its new site in Gosport.
As a result of the BUAVs undercover investigation in 2009, the government is now consulting on a system to prevent the controlling shareholder of a contract testing facility from also being responsible for the animals welfare, to avoid a conflict of interests.
Mr and Mrs Cartmell, at the time (2009) held 94% of the company's shares. In a previous undercover investigation by the BUAV (1993) it was also pointed out that Mr Cartmell, owner of Wickham labs, was the veterinary surgeon in charge of animal welfare, this was questioned by the Home Office but appears to have been overlooked on that occasion. Relating to both investigations by the BUAV Wickham Research labs was found to have 'lapsed in standards and breaches of its Home Office licence'
Gosport could become magnet for protests
By Sam Bannister
Published on Tuesday 14 June 2011
THE expansion of a controversial animal testing laboratory will make Gosport a target for activists, animal rights campaigners have warned.
Wickham Laboratories recently announced it was expanding its operation with a new six-acre site in Barwell Lane, Gosport.
It has drawn fierce criticism from animal rights groups who are planning to protest against the purchase.
Campaigners say increased attention from animal rights activists will put other businesses off setting up in the town.
Emma Haskell, 37, of Stop Wickham Animal Testing, said: ‘It will make Gosport a target for animal rights protests.
‘I understand they want more business here in Gosport and that is a good idea.
‘But having this lab here will put other businesses off coming to Gosport.
‘What company is going to want to set up at a site where there is animal rights protests and things like that going on all the time?
‘It’s going to get a lot of attention.
‘We’ve had support from Australia and all over the place and their attention will be focused on Gosport now.’
Stop Wickham Animal Testing has previously organised a number of demonstrations outside the Wickham site.
It held its first protest outside the new Gosport facility last month.
The group is planning to hold an animal rights march in Gosport later this year to protest against Wickham Laboratories’ new site.
Campaigner Helen Nelson, of Stop Wickham Animal Testing, spoke to councillors about her concerns at a meeting of Gosport Borough Council’s community board last night.
She said after the meeting: ‘We do hope the councillors will read the literature we have given them and take a bit of notice.
‘We think we will get a lot of support from people in Gosport and other areas.
‘We usually get 80 to 100 people at our demonstrations and this year we will get more.‘We certainly do not want this unpopular and unnecessary development here in Gosport.’
Wickham Laboratories expects the new site to be fully operational within the next five months.
The company bought the six-building complex from pharmaceutical company Wyeth.
Leader of the council Cllr Mark Hook said: ‘The council hasn’t debated it because they are entitled to move into the building.
‘We will have an open dialogue with them to ensure they follow the correct procedures.
‘We welcome the idea that it will create 100 jobs in the borough.
‘We will just have to ensure the work they undertake is carried out in the right manner.
‘I can understand Helen Nelson’s concerns but (animal testing) actually is a small percentage of the work they undertake.
‘When I spoke to them about that issue they said they are always looking for alternative ways and animal testing is a last resort.’
The new Barwell Lane site, which will be known as Hoeford Point, has a main facility with a floor area of 42,100sq ft across three floors.
The six buildings include security, warehousing and laboratory and office complexes.
Reports from previous years:
Wickham Research laboratory is currently being investigated by the Home Office for animal cruelty after a 8 month undercover operation by the BUAV, of which it is understood that the Home Office could soon reach its findings. Winchester City Council last year refused a planning application by Wickham labs to build new laboratories at Torbay Farm, Lower Upham, Hampshire, the laboratory has appealed against the refusal. It is now even more important to support this annual demonstration / protest to highlight the objections of the usage of the LD50 Test used within Wickham Research Laboratory.
2010 demo report on Indymedia
  Wickham has been the focus of animal rights protests and raids for many years. Keith Mann was imprisoned after breaking into Wickham labs and taking hundreds of mice, as well as damning evidence of Wickham's involvement with the testing of Botox on animals, despite the alleged ban on cosmetic testing.
Inside Hampshire's zoo laboratory
thisishampshire.net 17th November 2009
" ROWS of rabbits restrained in stocks, bags of dead mice and a mouse having its neck broken on the corridor floor. These disturbing images provide a rare glimpse inside a controversial Hampshire laboratory.
They were captured on a secret camera by an investigator who worked undercover at Wickham Laboratories for eight months this year. The anonymous investigator, a member of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), posed as a member of staff from January until October. She wanted to show the reality of life – and death – inside the Winchester Road laboratory, which originally opened as a one-man veterinary practice in 1954.
BUAV claim the footage shows creatures suffering cruel deaths and has called for the Government to withdraw the facility’s licence to carry out experiments on animals.
BUAV believe their findings make a mockery of claims that animals are only used as a last resort for vital medical research and that suffering is kept to a minimum. BUAV’s director of special projects Sarah Kite said: “Our shocking findings show that crude, archaic and extremely cruel animal tests are still allowed in the UK, even when an alternative test exists and animal testing is not required by official bodies.
Nonetheless, a Hampshire animal rights activist believes many residents would be shocked that thousands of animals are being experimented on in the quiet market town. “They are exceptionally disturbing images”, Stop Wickham Animal Testing (SWAT) spokesman Jeanette McClunan said.
“We were aware that this is what is going on, but we needed the evidence to highlight it. Now we have got it, we are going to use in every way possible to make the public aware of what is going on.”
SWAT has staged a long-running campaign for the closure of the laboratory and on Wednesday afternoon held the first in a series of planned demonstrations outside the labs.
Another veteran campaigner, Helen Nelson, from Gosport, added: “The images are terrible, but it shows great courage on behalf of the person who carried out the investigation."
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Whilst Wickham Laboratory continues to perform animal testing within their laboratory, SWAT continues to demonstrate against.
