'Some animals seen as objects, not sentient beings'

The number of times the law overseeing scientific experiments on animals has been broken in Northern Ireland has risen.

Thousands of procedures are carried out each year, many of which are for medical research into conditions such as cancer.

There were 22,000 procedures in 2020, mostly involving mice, cattle, sheep.

A small number of procedures also included cats and dogs.

BBC News NI can reveal there have been 13 breaches of the law regulating animal experiments in Northern Ireland since 2017, including failures to provide animals with food and water while being kept in cages smaller than required.

A leading animal protection charity has called for urgent investment in alternatives to the use of animal experiments in medical research.

The Department of Health (DoH) is responsible for issuing licences for these experiments in Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson said: "The department acknowledges that it is most regrettable that the breaches detected may have involved unnecessary suffering of animals.

"But the culture of self-reporting of incidents by establishments indicates that an establishment is making efforts to ensure compliance and demonstrates that role holders are aware of their responsibilities and are committed to building a good culture of care."

Video journalist: Niall McCracken