National Antivisection Society
Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School
NAVS undercover investigation 1994-95
Labradors and beagle dogs were being used in heart failure experiments. A pacemaker was fitted in the dogs’ necks which would be used to cause heart failure. After about 5 weeks, the dogs’ hearts begin to fail; they suffer swelling abdomens and paws, loss of appetite, and crackles/fluid filled lungs. Yet these experiments have even produced different results in different breeds of dog, let alone attempting to extrapolate this to people. Other researchers have questioned whether animal experiments are telling researchers anything about patients, and there is doubt about whether patients can benefit from drugs derived in this way.
Detailed breeding records and killing data collected by the NAVS during the investigation confirmed, for the first time, the massive overbreeding of laboratory animals. Out of 52,435 rodents bred at the laboratory, just 15,198 were used in experiments. 3,889 died before they were weaned, and a staggering 33,348 animals were gassed simply because they were surplus to requirements. The NAVS Field Officer even discovered that live, unconscious animals were inadvertently thrown into rubbish bags along with the dead bodies of others, after inadequate gassing
Lab License Revoked
On 30th July 1997, the Home Office finally admitted that they had revoked the Certificate of Designation for Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School (CXWMS), London, in 1996, following our undercover investigation. (This is the licence that enables animal experiments to be performed at a location.)
The NAVS investigation provided a horrific picture of the way millions of animals are killed in British laboratories. Even when gassing equipment is working correctly, it is evidently a terrifying way to die, and this was exacerbated by faulty equipment. Consequently, animals were thrown alive into bin bags for disposal. Techniques to confirm death laid down in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, i.e. exsanguination or dislocation of the neck or confirming rigor mortis, were disregarded.
Other killing methods included crushing the heads of infant animals between fingers, swinging rats by the tail to smash their heads against the edge of a sink, and hurling baby animals head first at the floor.
Over a year after the ‘Access Denied’ report was presented to the Home Office and APC, George Howarth, minister at the Home Office at the time who was responsible for animals in experiments, made the following statement to the House of Commons:
"At Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, the inspectorate identified irregularities in the application of approved methods for the humane killing of animals and deficiencies in middle management. The certificate of designation was revoked. A new certificate was issued when the establishment satisfied the Home Office that:
a) a list would be maintained of persons competent to kill by schedule 1 methods, and the people listed would be retrained and reminded of their responsibilities under the A(SP) Act 1986;
b) suitable standard operating procedures were in place for schedule1 killing;
c) internal controls were in place to prevent the unauthorised killing methods;
d) changes were made to the day-to-day animal care arrangements to ensure greater communication and clearer lines of management and responsibility between the certificate holder, the director of the animal facility and all other staff involved in animal work"
There has been no statement about admonition of the Inspectorate for failing to spot these deficiencies, despite the fact that tens of thousands of animals are killed at the lab because they are surplus to requirements.
For a copy of the full investigation report, click here:
- Acess Denied - Intro
- Acess Denied - Foreword
- Acess Denied - Legal Critique
- Acess Denied - Animal Housing
- Acess Denied - Scientific Critique
- Acess Denied - Summary
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