# BIBRA Animal Testing Laboratory, Surrey - March 2010



## professor frink (Mar 31, 2010)

*History;*

British law states that any new drug used for medicine must be tested on at least two different types of live mammal. One of these must be a large non-rodent type animal.
Formed in 1960 BIBRA (British Industrial Biological Research Association) was the most prominent animal testing laboratory in the UK.

BIBRA would give advice and carry out research to assist the food and related industries in their task of ensuring that foods complied with the requirements of the Food and Drugs Act, it would provide data to aid the Government in establishing regulations concerning the composition of foods.
In performing these functions, it would act also as the ‘watch-dog’ for the general public.

Its income came from member subscriptions and contract testing, mostly carried out for its member companies.
The last publicly available membership (1994) includes over 100 companies such as Boots PLC, British Petroleum, Fisons PLC, Ciba Geigy, Imperial Tobacco, Faberge, Philip Morris, Monsanto, and Nestle. 
These firms require tests for drugs, cosmetics, food additives, household products, pesticides and industrial chemicals.
During 1994, BIBRA carried out 22,000 experiments on animals.

BIBRA also received financial support from the Government and, in addition, has been fortunate to receive generous grants for specific research projects from various independent bodies, including the Nuffield Foundation, the British Nutrition Foundation and the Wellcome Trust to name but a few.

In 1997 the change in attitudes towards animal testing (vivisection) led to 150 activists marching on BIBRA toxicology laboratory to be greeted by a massive police presence, including around 20 riot vans, police horses and police dogs. Outnumbered, the crowd made several unsuccessful attempts to gain access, but were forced back by police. Eventually they carried out a noisy march through the surrounding streets.
This incident and the planting of incendiary bombs by activists under two of the scientists’ vehicles led to bad press and resentment towards BIBRA. 

Enter young Baldrick with a cunning new plan my Lord................................

In 2003 the leading BIBRA scientists broke away to form a new company and two years later they asset stripped BIBRA for its best scientists and TRACE, the world famous toxicological database and databank. 
What was left (A sullied name and an old contaminated lab) was 'sold' to Surrey Clinical Ltd. Unfortunately (sic) Surrey Clinical went into liquidation in 2005.

Wandering around this place is a weird experience. There's so much stuff left behind it's like everyone's just gone to lunch.

The other weird thing is it is adjoined to a primary school. 



1. 






2. One of the many well stocked labs.





3. Tiny selection of the pyrex left behind.





4. Segments of monkey brain anyone?





5.





6. More glassware.





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12. A small selection of the chemicals on offer. 





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14.





*Onto the basement animal testing labs and observation rooms.* 

15. 





16. Would hate to think WTF went on down here.





17. 





18. Animal mortuary fridge.





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21.


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## muppix (Mar 31, 2010)

Wow - nice one Professor! The objects in 19 and 21 look like blenders and make me slightly uneasy. Would love to take a visit there - was the building itself interesting at all, architecturally I mean?

m.


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## diehardlove (Mar 31, 2010)

really nice work and nice pics,


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## King Al (Mar 31, 2010)

Another excellent report Professor! What a wonderfully interesting place - if a little morbid. Like the old furniture and all the fancy glassware


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## drypulse (Mar 31, 2010)

give that guy an award!


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## Landie_Man (Mar 31, 2010)

Its an insanely good place!


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## godzilla73 (Mar 31, 2010)

Wondered how long it would be before someone posted this. Anthillmob and me discussed this one a while ago and it looks as good as it promised to be. Thanks for the pics....
GDZ


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## chaoticreason (Apr 1, 2010)

Some great,if disturbing shots into a a world most,(myself included) know very little about.
Shots sixteen and seventeen look most disturbing,I find it hard to imagine what induces a person to apply for any kind of position,that demands the causation of pain to any sentient being.
But! of course there are things I do not know of,nor understand.
Thanks for some excellent shots into the great eneffable.


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## lizzibear (Apr 1, 2010)

What an amazing explore! I'm flabbergasted to see what's been left behind, all those chemicals 

I don't think that I could bear to step foot into such a horrid place so well done for getting such great pics.


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## professor frink (Apr 1, 2010)

muppix said:


> Wow - nice one Professor! The objects in 19 and 21 look like blenders and make me slightly uneasy. Would love to take a visit there - was the building itself interesting at all, architecturally I mean?
> 
> m.





Objects in 19 and 21 had low dose, medium dose and high dose on them and outlet pipes with taps on them, so I guess they were used to administer different dosages of something toxic to the animals? 

Building itself is typical 60's so architecturally it is lacking somewhat. When the site is redeveloped the council planning officer has decreed the building must be demolished due to contamination.


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## ThenewMendoza (Apr 1, 2010)

Great report, and no ethics debate, win.

M


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## Anthillmob74 (Apr 2, 2010)

godzilla73 said:


> Wondered how long it would be before someone posted this. Anthillmob and me discussed this one a while ago and it looks as good as it promised to be. Thanks for the pics....
> GDZ



ahh so this is 'the one' we know of. excellent pics. now i have to go there.


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## klempner69 (Apr 2, 2010)

Are you sure that the workers hadnt gone to lunch ?It looks like absolutely nothing was taken to be re-used.


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## Anthillmob74 (Apr 2, 2010)

professor i m unable to reply to your message personally for some reason. slowness. thank you AND WILL KEEP inmind


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## Potter (Apr 2, 2010)

Both amazing and disturbing.

Wonder what's on them computer hard drives?


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## Faing (Apr 2, 2010)

thats one place that would malke you think....as someone else said ,morbid......but fainating, good dereliction/abandnement, thanx for sharring


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## mcspringzy (Apr 3, 2010)

Wow, thats amazing. I'd be soo careful going somewhere like this, because by the looks of it, someone else has been in before you and ransacked it somewhat. You never know what crazy chemicals are lurking


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## hnmisty (Apr 3, 2010)

Certainly very interesting (and a derilect place-loving chemist's dream with all those bottle left over ), what a horrible place it was though


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## Anthillmob74 (Apr 3, 2010)

a stupid fact. a girl i work with once went for a job interview there when she was younger [in the office not the testing labs]


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## UrbanX (Apr 4, 2010)

Fantastic report dude! I've just been to a similar facility at Houghton Grange, although they've left a lot more goodies behind here! Nicely written


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## shadowman (Apr 5, 2010)

I once had a friend who was a service technician for a macerator company, he used to come to the Hospital where I worked to carry out service work on Poo Macerators,In general conversation about what a load of shit these machines were, he told me about a time when he had to service a machine at this very LAB you were in, it a legendary machine called the "DOG BASHER", basically you could put a Alsatian sized dog into it ,switch on , and dog would get MACERATED and flushed down the drainage system.I wonder if its still there?


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## KPUrban_ (May 17, 2018)

Great photos. Love the dark atmosphere of the site, I may have make a visit to here.


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## mookster (May 17, 2018)

KPUrbex said:


> Great photos. Love the dark atmosphere of the site, I may have make a visit to here.



It's looooooong gone, demolished back in 2011. A new school now stands where this was.


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## krela (May 17, 2018)

mookster said:


> It's looooooong gone, demolished back in 2011. A new school now stands where this was.



Yeah that's what happens when you reply to 8 year old threads. 

Always a good idea to look at dates of things KP. It's generally frowned upon to add replies to super old threads.


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## mookster (May 17, 2018)

It's probably a good thing it's gone if I'm honest. It's one of very very few places that has given me an overwhelmingly bad feeling when in there.


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