Key Points
- Two peaceful protesters were arrested at Camp Beagle, the long-running animal rights protest camp outside MBR Acres in Wyton, Cambridgeshire, on 24 February 2026.
- The arrests mark the first under a new UK government amendment classifying animal testing facilities like MBR Acres as “critical national infrastructure,” allowing harsher penalties for protests causing disruption.
- Arrests occurred amid ongoing tensions at the camp, Europe’s longest-running animal rights protest since June 2021, targeting MBR Acres, which breeds around 2,500 beagles annually for laboratory research.
- Campaigners describe the arrests as an attack on peaceful protest, with supporters gathering outside Cambridge Police Station following the incident.
- One arrest involved John Curtin, a key Camp Beagle organiser, arrested that morning at the camp; supporters protested his detention.
- The new law could lead to up to 12 months in prison for causing significant disruption near such sites, equating them to airports or power stations.
- Camp Beagle has faced prior legal challenges, including Community Protection Notices (CPNs) issued to four activists in July 2025 for using megaphones and engaging drivers, despite a High Court ruling in February 2025 upholding the camp’s right to protest.
- MBR Acres, a subsidiary of US-based Marshall BioResources, holds licences for breeding beagles for research, including controversial terminal blood testing on puppies.
- Historical context includes 15 arrests in 2021 for obstruction and damage, and 2022 incidents where activists rescued beagles, leading to burglary convictions with sentencing in February 2026.
- Cambridgeshire Police have spent significant resources policing the site, including £165,166 from June to September 2021.
- Protesters, led by figures like Mel Brown (formerly Mel Broughton), deny harassment claims, focusing on public awareness to close the facility.
- A High Court injunction in 2021 required protesters to stay 10 metres from gates, later adjusted; in 2025, Judge Nicklin rejected MBR’s harassment allegations against John Curtin.
Cambridgeshire (Cambridge Tribune) 24 February 2026 – Two individuals were arrested outside the Camp Beagle protest site near MBR Acres, a beagle breeding facility for laboratory research, in what campaigners call the inaugural enforcement of new legislation targeting animal rights demonstrations.
What Led to the Arrests at Camp Beagle?
As reported in an Instagram reel shared by @thecampbeagle on February 24, 2026,
“Today we witnessed the first two arrests under the new amendment.”
The post detailed how the arrests followed a recent UK government statutory instrument, pushed by Policing Minister Sarah Jones, reclassifying life sciences facilities including animal testing sites like MBR Acres as key national infrastructure. This equates protests near such sites to disruptions at airports, potentially resulting in 12 months’ imprisonment for significant interference.
A Facebook post from the Vfuture group on February 24, 2026 stated,
“Camp Beagle and supporters outside of Cambridge Police station, after John Curtin was arrested this morning at Camp Beagle (outside of MBR Acres’ gates).”
John Curtin, a 61-year-old Huntingdonshire resident and prominent Camp Beagle organiser, was one of those detained, amid claims of public nuisance, though specifics tied to the new law were highlighted by supporters.
Campaigners gathered at Cambridge Police Station to protest, labelling the actions “sickening” under the amended Public Order Act. A video by Leilani Dowding on Facebook declared,
“Just awful. 2 peaceful protesters were arrested Camp Beagle under the sickening new law where the government sees this evil cruel facility that breeds.”
Why Is Camp Beagle Protesting MBR Acres?
Camp Beagle, established in June 2021 outside MBR Acres in Wyton near Huntingdon, is recognised as Europe’s longest-running animal rights protest camp, now over four years strong. Protesters demand the facility’s closure and an end to beagle use in research by 2025, citing practices like terminal blood testing on puppies for profit.
Wikipedia’s entry on Camp Beagle notes it targets MBR Acres, which supplies puppies for toxicology trials, with protesters maintaining a permanent presence despite weather and legal hurdles. As per Sul Nowroz of Real Media in a 28 July 2025 article, the camp highlights
“the very real public concerns over animal abuse at MBR Acres Ltd, including the practice of bleeding puppies to death and selling their blood or organs for profit.”
MBR Acres stated in a 2021 BBC report,
“We should stress that we have no interest in stifling legitimate protest provided it is conducted lawfully and peacefully, but we absolutely are concerned to stop those protesters who were conducting a vicious and unwarranted harassment and intimidation of our staff and others.”
Activists, including spokesman Mel Brown (previously Mel Broughton, convicted in 2009 for arson conspiracy), counter that their focus is
“gaining public support to save the beagles and not on causing fear.”
What Is the History of Arrests at This Site?
Cambridgeshire Police reported 15 arrests in the first two months of protests in 2021, mostly for suspected obstruction of the highway or criminal damage. A BBC article by an unnamed reporter on 30 August 2021 detailed,
“Fifteen people have been arrested in the past two months while demonstrating outside a facility that breeds dogs for laboratory research.”
In December 2022, 14 were detained after Animal Rebellion removed 18 beagles; three faced burglary charges a 29-year-old man from Sheffield, a 23-year-old from York, and a 33-year-old woman with no fixed address while nine were held for aggravated trespass. Surge Activism reported on 15 November 2022 (updated for June actions) that 25 activists occupied the site, liberating five beagles, with around 12 arrests.
Earlier, in April 2024, John Curtin was arrested for public nuisance and drone offences, bailed with conditions excluding him from Wyton and prohibiting drone use or MBR contact, as confirmed by Cambridgeshire Police to CambsNews.
How Have Courts Ruled on Camp Beagle Protests?
A High Court interim order on 20 August 2021 allowed police to remove protesters, but by 5 October 2021, the camp was permitted to stay 10 metres from gates. In February 2025, Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed MBR’s injunction against John Curtin, rejecting harassment claims and upholding protest rights, as detailed by Sul Nowroz of Real Media:
“The judge had explicitly rejected claims that protesters were engaged in harassment.”
Real Media’s 27 December 2025 piece by an unnamed author noted the ruling protected megaphones and signs, yet police issued CPNs five months later to four activists for “unreasonable conduct” impacting community quality of life. Judge Nicklin fined Curtin £90 for a minor 2022 injunction breach, deeming culpability “low.”
What Role Has Police Played in Policing the Camp?
Cambridgeshire Police have escorted MBR staff and policed extensively; a Freedom of Information request revealed £165,166 spent from 27 June to 14 September 2021. A police spokesman in 2021 said,
“We are ensuring a safe environment for protesters to express their views peacefully and staff at the site to do their work, which is protected under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.”
In July 2025, CPNs targeted camp guardians, prompting a Huntingdon protest where no senior officers engaged, per Real Media. Supporters appealed the notices, noting potential legal costs if unsuccessful.
What Are the Broader Implications for UK Protests?
The new amendment, per UnchainedTV on 18 December 2025, intensifies crackdowns amid beagle rescue trials; five activists Eben Lazarus, Ben Newman, Hannah Hunt, Nathan McGovern, Lewis Elliot were convicted of burglary in 2025, with sentencing in February 2026. Nathan McGovern described the 2022 rescue as conscience-driven.
Campaigners like those at Camp Beagle vow to continue, with a 25 May 2024 “Operation 1,000” drawing 400-500 protesters, closing nearby roads. Ricky Gervais, Will Young, and Chris Packham have voiced support.
Cambridgeshire Police emphasise proportionality, but activists see a pattern silencing dissent against animal testing.
