Police charge 12 people with burglary after dogs taken from research facility

Protests at the site hit the headlines in November after singer Will Young was involved in a demonstration.

Protests at the site hit the headlines in November after singer Will Young was involved in an anti-vivisection demonstration (PA) (PA Media)

Twelve people have been charged with burglary after two break-ins at a research facility which saw five dogs taken.

Cambridgeshire Police said officers were called to reports of a burglary at MBR Acres in Wyton at 5am on Sunday, then again at 3am on Monday to reports of a burglary and dogs being taken.

The force said that the dogs taken from the facility, which breeds animals for research, have yet to be recovered.

Twelve people, aged between 20 and 52, have been charged with burglary and are due to appear at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, police said.

A barrister representing MBR Acres gave details of the alleged incident during a hearing in relation to a separate matter at the High Court on Monday.

Caroline Bolton said that five dogs had been taken after a number of protesters broke into a site.

MBR Acres has taken High Court action in the wake of anti-vivisection protests at the Wyton site, and a judge has made an injunction preventing protesters entering an exclusion zone.

Protests at the site hit the headlines in November after singer Will Young was involved in a demonstration.