THE MP for Northwich has thrown his weight behind a campaign being spearheaded by animal loving superstar Ricky Gervais.

Mike Amesbury says he is backing the campaign seeking to ban the factory farming of dogs for use in laboratory experiments, which the After Life creator is leading on with his co-star Peter Egan.

The pair have teamed up with Dr Lisa Cameron MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dog Welfare (APDAWG), to launch an Early Day Motion (EDM 175) calling on Government to mandate a rigorous public scientific hearing on claims animal experiments can predict responses in humans.

Mr Amesbury has written to the Environment Secretary George Eustace MP, asking him to support this demand after receiving a number of letters from his own constituents.

In his letter, the Weaver Vale MP said: "I understand that Ricky Gervais, a global public figure, has launched an expose with After Life co-star Peter Egan, to uncover harrowing footage of the factory farming of laboratory dogs, right here in the UK.

"The harrowing footage filming at MBR Acres, Cambridgeshire, reveals panic-stricken distress cries from up to 2,000 Beagles bred annually at MBR and kept indoors for their entire lives.

"MBR workers can be seen grabbing dogs by the scruff of the neck and piling them into overcrowded trolleys.

"Pitiful cries can be heard as individually crated dogs are loaded onto a lorry to be taken to laboratories across the UK."

Mr Amesbury goes to explain how when the dogs reach their final destination, they are subjected to experiments which can involve force feeding chemicals directly into their stomachs for 90 days, with no pain relief or anaesthetic.

"The dogs are killed at the end of the experiment," he added.

"This is horrendous and should not be happening. Dogs are family members.

"The Government has recently launched its Pet Taskforce to tackle the reported rise in pet thefts and bring those involved in this illegal market to justice.

"And with the recent passing of Finn's Law Part Two, inspired by the bravery of police dog Finn, cruelty to dogs and other animals can now mean spending up to five years in prison."

Mr Amesbury went on to say how EDM 175 calls for a fair public scientific hearing that can advise decision makers about the influence exerted by 'outdated lobbyists' from a widely acknowledge 'failed scientific practice' and how animal experiments are 'failing the search for human treatments and cures'.

He added: "This medical failure is reported by leading experts including Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor in Chief of the British Medical Journal and scientists working at the US-based Food and Drug Administration which states nine out of ten human medicines fail to pass human clinical trials because animals cannot predict human responses.

"I am asking the government to mandate this fair call for public scientific hearing, as an urgent priority for all our sakes; for human patients, for man's best friend, our loyal and faithful dogs, and all other animals."