MANY readers may be shocked to discover that everyday household products such as washing-up liquid, fabric conditioner and cleaning fluids are legally tested on animals in the UK.

Ten years after the Government banned animal experiments for cosmetics, there is nothing to stop animals being subjected to suffering to test products used for cleaning the home.

The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) is campaigning for an immediate ban, after more than 80 per cent of shoppers said they were concerned that household products are still tested on animals.

The BUAV is lobbying for a change in the law and recently delivered a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Shoppers may feel confused because some companies claim their products are "cruelty-free", but what this means is that the actual finished product has not been animal-tested. It doesn't stop animals being used in experiments to test the individual ingredients.

The BUAV runs a certification scheme represented by a leaping bunny logo, where companies and their suppliers have to prove they do not test ingredients or final products on animals. Visit www.crueltyfree.org for a free leaflet of BUAV approved companies.

Michelle Thew, Chief Executive, British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, London.