CAT farmer Chris Brown has been sent a chilling bomb threat by animal rights activists.

But he told the Oxford Mail: "I won't give in to terrorists."

Mr Brown, who breeds cats for research, was one of a number of businessmen to receive threats from the Provisional Animal Liberation Front.

In an attack in 1993, Mr Brown suffered burns to his face and stomach when a letter-bomb exploded at his farm, Hillgrove, in Minster Lovell, near Witney.

The latest package sent to his home contained a video cassette box with cat litter and a diagram of the internal workings of a bomb.

And there was a terrifying warning that next time the bomb would be a real one as part of a full-blown campaign after April.

Mr Brown has handed the package to police, who are now making inquiries.

The Provisional ALF, which sent the hoax device, declared a policy earlier this month of committing acts of violence against its targets.

A letter sent with the hoax device said: "It could easily have been for real. You have been lucky this time."

And referring to the diagram of the device, the warning added: "Circuit completed as contacts engage when cassette box is opened - boom!"

But Mr Brown said he refused to be intimidated by the threat and would continue to run his business.

He added: "Last time I opened one of these packages, it exploded and burned my eyebrows, face and stomach.

"It would be quite a good way to go, because you would not know anything about it. The problem is that these devices can maim you, and that is a bit different. "My concern is that even though these packages are addressed to me, another member of my family might open them.

"Last time there was a Jiffy bag and when I opened it to look inside, it went bang in my face. I now give any suspicious packages to the police.

"What is happening is frightening but I am not the only one it is happening to and I don't intend to give in."

The letter from the Provisional ALF said: "We intend these hoaxes to act as a warning so that both animal abusers and traitors may have the opportunity to change their ways before our unashamedly violent campaign begins in earnest.

"We have designs for many types of devices with capabilities to attack both people and property. Our period of warning will end in April this year."

Robin Webb, a spokesman for the Animal Liberation Group, which does not condone violent acts, said: "This provisional group has now become impatient and has renounced non-violence. There is no reason to assume that these people do not have the knowledge to assemble these devices."

He added that other venues currently being targeted included Colchester Zoo and Dover Harbour.

Heather James, of the Save the Hillgrove Cats Campaign, said: "We can't condone this. We are against violence towards animals and people."

Acting Supt Dan Clacher, head of Operation Stile, which monitors protests at Hillgrove, said: "This is yet another example of threats and intimidation against Mr Brown.

"The police are duty-bound to investigate any matter where people seek to make threats or use violence in order to achieve their aims. An investigation into this matter is now under way."

During the past year, a number of large-scale protests have taken place at the farm. To date, it has cost Thames Valley Police £500,000 to police them.

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