Animal rights campaigners across the country are preparing to converge on Witney this weekend.

So too are hundreds of police as the Save the Hillgrove Cats campaign keeps up its fight to close down the cat breeding farm two miles outside the town.

Protesters are meeting for a mass rally at The Leys recreation ground in a repeat of an event that was stopped on July 11 - the day of Witney Carnival - when police obtained a three-mile exclusion zone and ringed the town to turn back demonstrators. No order has been taken out for Sunday's rally on Sunday, which starts at noon.

Organisers have are arranging transport throughout the country to bring protesters to the town and have lined up four speakers, including author and anti-vivisectionist Dr Vernon Coleman and former model Celia Hammond.

Hillgrove Farm, at Minster Lovell, is run by Mr Chris Brown who breeds cats for research. There have been several violent clashes between police and demonstrators around the farm since protests began last year.

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