A core group of animal-rights activists co-ordinated a blackmail campaign that spanned Europe and America from a cottage in Hampshire in a bid to close down Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), a court heard today.

Their campaign against companies that did business with the animal-testing laboratory was so broad that they considered anyone who dealt with the New York Stock Exchange, where HLS shares are listed, to be a legitimate target.

Senior members of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) ran a business-like campaign that targeted companies in at least eight countries from their headquarters at Little Moorcote, near Hook, Hampshire, Winchester Crown Court was told.

Before one key meeting on Easter Sunday last year they gathered intelligence on SHAC activities in America and across Europe and prepared a secret report that outlined demonstrations held and “direct action” taken in Britain over the past three months, said Michael Bowes, QC, for the prosecution.

The document also discussed “future tactics” and in that section they decided that “actually anyone who deals with the NYSE is a legitimate target for us because they might put pressure on the NYSE to de-list the shares,” Mr Bowes said.

The hard copies of this report, which were “highly dangerous” for the SHAC members involved, were burnt on a bonfire after the meeting, the prosecution believe.

Police who raided the Little Moorcote cottage and other properties last May discovered a map pinpointing targets in Switzerland.

On a seized computer they found fragments of deleted spreadsheets with “quite meticulous” information on targets and the actions taken against them, which included hoax bombs, late-night vandalism of homes and letters alleging paedophilia that were sent to victims’ neighbours.

The “darker” elements of the SHAC campaign were carried out under the “badge” of the Animal Liberation Front, Mr Bowes said. However, in the conspiracy to blackmail “SHAC and the ALF were one and the same”.

Greg Avery, 40, his wife Natasha, 39, who were two of the founding members of SHAC in 1999, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to blackmail along with fellow activist Daniel Amos, 21.

Heather Nicholson, 41, Gavin Medd-Hall, 45, Daniel Wadham, 21, Gerrah Selby, 20, and Trevor Holmes, 51, who were all described as members of the SHAC hierarchy, deny the charge.

The trial continues

Animal rights activists' 'blackmail campaign spanned Europe and US' - Times Online