A CIRENCESTER animal rights campaigner joined 15 fellow activists in the dock at Oxford Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Michael Haines, 59, of North Home Road, was charged following offences during a protest against the building of an animal testing laboratory at Oxford University.

The charges relate to a march on June 21 last year when the group, all members of an organisation called Speak, were protesting against the construction of an animal testing lab at Oxford University.

Mr Haines and the 15 co-defendants, including a mother and son, all deny charges of failing to comply with conditions imposed by Thames Valley Police relating to the protest.

Three of the defendants, Mel Broughton, 46, Fran Cornwell, 59, and Rachel Nelson, 40, denied additional charges of inciting other campaigners to breach police conditions.

Mr Broughton was also jointly charged with his 70-year-old mother Pauline, of resisting or obstructing a police constable after officers waded in, which both deny. Mrs Cornwell also denies an additional charge of assaulting a policeman.

District Judge Deborah Wright was told that between 30 and 40 protestors from Speak gathered in Oxford city centre on the day in question last year.

Senior police who had been liasing with the groups' members, became concerned that there was a risk that public order could be breached because of the increasing noise and disruption allegedly being caused.

The protest against the building of the leading university's lab at Halifax House was taking place on the historic Senior Day Ceremony when the city was packed with dignitaries and tourists.

Gareth Branston, prosecuting, told the court police had asked the protestors to move to a more suitable location.

"The police said that no more than 50 placard-waving protestors could take part, it could last only three hours and that the campaigners would have to walk continuously along a certain route to get there," he said.

The conditions were immediately breached he added.

"Members of the group began to sit down," he said.

"The protestors made it clear to the police that they were not complying with the conditions imposed."

The court heard when police officers attempted to arrest members of the group they were obstructedand one was assaulted.

The other defendants in the case include; Pauline Broughton, of Welford Road, Northampton; Mel Broughton of Semilong Road, Northampton; Fran Cornwell of Porlock Lane, Milton Keynes; Anna Cooke, 31, of Honeysuckle Road, High Wycombe; Sheila English, 64, of Jacks Lane, Turvey; Anthony Morrison, 43, of Lyndhurst Avenue, Newcastle; Rachel Nelson, 40, of North Town Lane, North Wootton, Somerset; Deborah Scicluna, 46, of Osman Close, London; Emma Speed, 39, of Victoria Drive, Leigh on Sea; Eileen Kinghorn, 53, of Wellington Way, Bow, East London; Michael Haines, 59, of North Home Road, Cirencester; Trevor Holmes, 50, of Holystene Crescent, Newcastle; Amanda James, 22, of Wheatley Cresent, Huntingdon; Joanna Robertson, 29, and Melanie Bates, 35, both of Shaftesbury Road, Reading.

They were all granted conditional bail.