The Home Office has revealed new plans to clamp down on violence and intimidation from animal rights extremists as part of measures designed to protect the research industry.

A special police squad is to hunt down extremist ringleaders and a new cabinet committee has been set up, chaired by home secretary Jack Straw, co-ordinating activity across government departments to ensure the protection of essential scientific research.

Jack Straw, yesterday visited Huntingdon Life Sciences to highlight the new measures, and described the work there as "essential to us all".