It is understandable Thomas Bromley (Opinion, February 10) wants to find a cure for his disease and it is right medical research should continue.

However, he resorts to emotional blackmail to support the continued use of animals in cruel, often pointless experiments.

Would he support the idea of using our own species for this essential "humane" research?

Such research would be far more relevant and successful than studies carried out on different species.

If he is unwilling to support the idea of using humans for medical research, even though this might save millions of people, he should justify why it is morally acceptable to use other sentient beings.

If his only justification is that "animals" are inferior, he is following the same reasoning used throughout history to support and encourage tyranny in the form of genocide, slavery and other irrational prejudices based on skin colour, religion and race.

-Frank Prince-Iles, Sunnydale Avenue, Brighton