ON Thursday I attended the peace vigil for Barry Horne outside York District Hospital. I have the article Hunger Strike Violence Alert (Evening Press, November 26) and I write to complain that you have taken the situation out of context and are subsequently scaremongering.

As a result, people have hurled abuse and, in one case, a car tried to run into some protesters.

It takes a lot of courage to stand there and it gets very cold. The protesters and I have no intention of causing any trouble. We simply want to get the message over that we are against testing on animals.

It is a great shame that Barry Horne has had to go to such lengths to convince people that testing on animals is wrong. He has to be admired for the sacrifice.

Mrs H E Charman,

Crescent Avenue,

Whitby.

...I AM writing to complain about the article Hunger Strike Violence Alert.

I was at the 24-hour vigil outside the District Hospital and it was myself and a friend's photo that was printed next to the article which was full of 'campaign of violence' 'extremists,' 'public disturbance', 'vandalism,' 'banner-wielding protesters.' I am disgusted at this attitude to the peaceful vigil for a dying man.

York Animal Aid have not threatened violence. I wonder if the photograph would have been linked to such an article had it showed the five people all over the age of 60 who joined us just an hour later?

Barry Horne was convicted of arson. Please note this is not 'bombing', he hurt no human or animal, nor did he intend to. He has been granted an appeal against his 18-year sentence.

The violence we are up against here is the suffering and death of millions of animals, including monkey's cats, and dogs, who are needlessly experimented upon.

Angela Fowler,

Clifford Street,

York.

...THERE must surely be something morally and spiritually repugnant about singing carols to boost the coffers of the exceedingly lucrative animal based cancer research 'charities.'

Christ chose to be born among the animals; had the announcement of his birth singled out to animal carers and his first act of militance was to liberate animals from temple sacrifice. He who chose to identify Himself as the good Shepherd must surely recoil at their abuse within vivisection laboratories.

As for any claim that these are a scientific necessity, it need only be affirmed that - after 200 years of legalised vivisection - the top cause of death in Britain is now cancer; while the fifth top cause is 'adverse reaction to medically prescribed treatment' of which the drugs used are all animal tested! Little wonder that humane, non-animal based alternative medicine is thriving?

Last, but not least, let us remember Barry Horne who is dying for the animals in York District Hospital. I ask: as Christians what are we doing for them?"

Rev Fr James Thompson,

The Animals' Padre,

Fron Park Road,

Holywell,

Flintshire.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.