They targeted David Hall and Partners, a family business which ran the breeding programme at a farm in Newchurch, Staffordshire.

The campaign included protests outside Darley Oaks Farm, a burglary in which 600 guinea pigs were freed and threats to family members, friends and employees.

But it was the theft of Gladys Hammond’s body from a graveyard in nearby Yoxall in October 2004 that “appalled and disgusted people nationwide”, said Det Ch Insp Nick Baker.

“Today’s lengthy sentences send a strong message to people who might be considering doing anything similar.

“While lawful protestors have nothing to fear, single issue extremists will be caught and strongly punished for their offences,” he said after the sentencing.

The Hall family ceased their guinea pig breeding programme in January this year.

The four were described as “terrorists” by one of their victims.

Mrs Hammond’s body was discovered on Cannock Chase last week after Smith told police where to find it. Her remains are to be reburied at St Peter’s Churchyard.

She was mother-in-law to John Hall, who ran the farm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/6279897.stm

There’s a bogan who sets up a scraggy ’sign our petition’ (against animal testing) stall outside Jenners, Edinburgh’s poshest department store. It is of course plastered with small animals looking imploring, but my overwhelming impulse is to go up and ask if he’s robbed any good graves lately. This is why.

Good one ……. but if that’s you in the picture, h get ready to a hit of bull-leaping because you are definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time!

I used to think bullfighting was man against beast. I didn’t realize the poor bloody bull had been prodded and poked by every man-and-his-dog before the outdoor ballet dancer came out and did his stuff ….. it would be more fun watching what happens on the killing-floor of an Australian meatworks. I’ve heard that Portugese bullfighting really is man against beast and that at the end of the day the bull lives (Portugese expressed contempt for the Spanish version).

Not queuing might be a local thing in Languedoc; seem to remember rather noisy queue in Spain.