ANIMAL rights activists last night vowed to continue a campaign of hate against animal research companies, which has spread to the North-East.

Protest group SHAC said it was behind leaflets posted in the Darlington area aimed at "naming and shaming" shareholders of Huntingdon Life Sciences.

The leaflets - passed on to The Northern Echo - illustrate alleged acts of animal cruelty at the Cambridgeshire company and ask: "How would you feel if they got hold of your pets?"

County Durham Police say they are monitoring the situation, but admit that the leaflets do not constitute an offence and at the moment there is nothing they can do.

SHAC, whose intended aim is to close down Huntingdon Life Sciences, already includes on its website the names, addresses and telephone numbers of scores of North-East shareholders.

These are listed by county and included details from people living in North Yorkshire, County Durham, Cleveland, and Tyne and Wear.

Last night, co-founder Heather James said: "We will continue to target these shareholders until they sell their shares."

Under proposals announced this week by Home Secretary Jack Straw, animal rights activists face fines of up to £5,000 or six months in prison for harrasing scientists and research company executives.

The Government is also currently conducting an urgent rewrite of present laws which allow the names and addresses of shareholders of UK stock exchange listed companies to be published.

Jim Baxter, of Huntingdon Life Sciences, said all its shareholders had been warned that they might be contacted by members of SHAC.

He said: "We are lobbying parliament to try and change legislation to protect individuals. The material being distributed is disturbing."

A spokesman for County Durham Police said they had received a "call for assistance" from a member of the public who had received one of the leaflets in Darlington