Phytopharm in court move to curb activists

DRUGS company Phytopharm is seeking a court injunction to help its crack down on animal rights activists.

Its legal action follows last week's resignation of City firm Canaccord as its broker after extremists thought to be linked to the Animal Liberation Front blew up the car of Canaccord director Michael Kendall.

Draconian new powers come into force today that allow the courts to fine activists and put them in prison for up to five years if their attacks on drugs firms or individual staff cause the companies to lose business.

Drugs companies have previously only been able to turn to civil litigation procedures to curb the behaviour of activists, with injunctions costing on average £200,000 in legal fees. Recovering financial losses from activists has been almost impossible.

Phytopharm chief executive Richard Dixey declined to comment on his company's actions but the Evening Standard has learned it was set to go to the High Court today to ask for an injunction to help protect the business from activists.

Tim Morris, director of animal ethics at drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline, said his company was committed to the UK in the long term after spending £1.1bn on research here but warned of 'the corrosive effect of animal rights extremists which leads to potential for lost opportunities - for example future investment'.