SIR Researchers are working around the clock to find effective treatments and even cures for a huge number of diseases.

At the heart of that work is the use of animals, which continue to provide the best possible model for finding cures for diseases and conditions that affect, directly or indirectly, every family in the country.

Last month, the Coalition for Medical Progress, an alliance of organisations with interests in medical research, launched its online People's Petition to give the silent majority a voice. The Petition is completely anonymous, allowing people to sign up safely and securely.

For the first time in the UK, individuals can register their belief that medical research is essential for developing safe and effective medical and veterinary treatments, requiring some studies using animals; that, where there is no alternative, research using animals should continue; and that people involved in such research have a right to live and work without fear of intimidation.

To sign the People's Petition and register your support for medical research, go to www.thepeoplespetition.org.uk Jo Tanner, Coalition for Medical Progress, Mabledon Place, London.