EXETER Friends for Animals, who staged a city centre protest accusing leading medical charities of funding animal cruelty, said they were delighted with the response.

Sharon Howe, one of the organisers, said: "We got nearly 100 postcards signed in total and had some interesting discussions with people.

"It was clear that many are unaware of the animal testing that goes on, indeed, that it still goes on at all.

"Many were appalled to learn this and keen to support our appeal to medical charities to invest more in modern, human-relevant techniques. People clearly do not like the idea of animals enduring great suffering to no purpose – and the Animal Aid report Victims of Charity argues that this is happening to an unacceptably large extent. People were also keen to take part in the public consultation on the UK's new animal experimentation law, which ends on September 5."

For more information go to www.navs.org.uk/consultation.