A PROTEST group campaigned outside a Shell petrol station in Worcester.

The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) launched the peaceful protest at Bath Road yesterday, to highlight claims that Shell has links with the Huntingdon Research Centre in Cambridgeshire.

Around eight protesters held placards and handed out leaflets to highlight animal testing, while four people chained themselves by their heads at the two entrances.

"They had linked their heads together with a d-lock on a bike," said one local, who asked not to be named.

"We want people to link the public face of this company and associate it with animal testing," said Greg Avery, a spokesman for SHAC. "When people buy petrol, we want them to know they are helping to support the biggest testing laboratory in Europe."

Police were called to the incident around 4pm and monitored the situation but made no arrests as the protest was peaceful.

The garage confirmed that the site had remained open during the protest but would not comment further on the incident.