AN animal rights activist from Ringwood pleaded guilty on Wednesday to helping attack Barclays Bank branches because of the company’s then links to the animal testing lab, Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Thomas Harris, from Somerville Road, admitted being involved in attacks on four Hampshire branches of the bank.

The 27-year-old is a prominent member of the group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (Shac), and is already serving a four-year jail term for conspiracy to blackmail companies linked to Cambridge-based HLS in an attempt to close it down.

On the eve of his trial at Winchester Crown Court, Harris pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage between September and November 2008.

Christopher Potter, 20, and Maria Neal, 19, both from Seggs Lane, Alcester, Warwickshire, pleaded guilty to the same charge at an earlier hearing. They will be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on January 13.

Barclays said it no longer had links to HLS but had through its asset management business when the attacks took place. The hearing is the latest in a series of prosecutions of people linked to Shac.

In October last year six activists, including Harris, were sentenced for their part in attempts to close HLS down.