Edmund Maile, during his protest and hunger strike outside the Senate House, Kings Parade

A CAMBRIDGE man is on hunger strike in the city centre in protest at Government plans which could lead to animal suffering.

Edmund Maile has starved himself of food since Saturday to highlight changes to animal rights laws which could come into force in 2013.

The 22-year-old, who has been drinking water, is standing outside Cambridge University’s Senate House in King’s Parade and handing out postcards to send to David Cameron condemning the new European Union directive which would see Britain’s laws on the treatment of animals in labs fall in line with the rest of Europe.

The directive, which has to be implemented by January 2013, could dismantle Britain’s current laws, widely seen as effective, and replace them with a lower level of animal rights. This could mean animals may be allowed to suffer long-lasting or severe pain and inhumane methods of killing.

Mr Maile, of Chesterton, said: “If that is what it takes to get people’s attention then that is hat I will do. The reason they can pass something like this is because they do not tell people about it.

“I have made it my business to inform people about it. If it takes a hunger strike then it is what I am going to do. I have been getting huge amounts of support but it will only be a success is the legislation is not passed.”

Mr Maile, who said he had suffered heckling and abuse on the city streets as a result of his protest, has the support of Animal Rights Cambridge.

Sue Hughes, a member of the group, said: “People have been going to check on him on a regular basis to support him so he knows he had a lot of support. He wants to inform the public about what is going on.

“Our rules are better than the rest of the EU. We can keep them but we have to say we want to keep them.

“Eddie feels so strongly about this. We are just asking for a proper debate in parliament, not to just rubber stamp it all.”

The RSPCA has also announced its opposition to any weakening of British laws.

Dr Maggy Jennings, head of the RSPCA’s research animals department, said: “Successive governments have made proud claims that the UK has ‘the highest standards in the world’ for animal research and testing. Now this legislation could be weakened, taking a step backwards on lab animal welfare. This is unacceptable.

“We urge the Government to respect public concern on this issue and, at the very least, maintain the level of regulation that we currently have. If they don’t, animal welfare, public confidence and ultimately UK science will suffer.”