Overall, animal experiments totalled 2.8 million in 2003, up 2.2 percent from the previous year, the government said yesterday.

Nicky Gordon, science officer at the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, said there had been a general increase over the past decade despite a promise from the ruling Labour Party to reduce animal experiments.

"This shocking rise is a shameful reflection of this government's utter failure to tackle the controversial issue of animal experiments," Gordon told Reuters.

Animal rights are an emotive issue in pet-loving Britain and violent attacks by extremists, including firebombing scientists' cars, have ensured a place high on the political agenda.

Last week, Britain banned U.S. doctor Jerry Vlasak from entering the country because of his view that violence against scientists who experiment on animals can be justified.

The government said 85 percent of procedures involved mice and other rodents, and most of the remainder was carried out on fish and birds.

Home Office minister Caroline Flint said there was clear need for the use of animals in vital scientific research where no alternative was available.

"The UK's licensing system is one of the tightest in the world and permits only essential research with clear medical benefits," said Flint.

But Dan Lyons, campaigns director of animal rights group Uncaged, condemned this as a myth.

"Claims of strict regulation from the government and animal researchers are cynical, cruel lies designed to fool the public into thinking that animal experiments are a medical necessity and that suffering is minimal," he said.

Norman Baker, environment spokesman of the opposition Liberal Democrats urged the government to invest more in alternatives such as cell culture and computer modelling.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said the increase had to be seen against a backdrop of increased government funding for biomedical research and a 12.4 percent jump in the number of compounds in the development pipeline.