ANIMAL rights campaigners who scored a legal victory over police breaking up their demonstration at last year's Encaenia ceremony will stage a repeat this month.

Last week, 14 protesters walked free from court after a judge condemned the police for unlawfully breaking up their protest outside the university's honorary degree ceremony last July.

Officers tried to use powers under Section 14 of the Public Order Act to move them on from outside the Sheldonian Theatre but the campaigners - battling against the construction of Oxford's animal experiments lab - staged a sit-in and were arrested.

A recording caught police officers swearing about the protesters and saying they did not realise how powerful the university was.

Animal rights organisation Speak announced it would hold another demonstration outside this year's Encaenia event on June 20.

Spokesman Mel Broughton said: "We are not going down there to cause trouble or deliberately upset anyone, but we are there to voice our opinions.

"The police must recognise that we have a right to protest lawfully. We have always striven to make sure that our protests are lawful and we will continue to do that. We have advertised the protest and I am happy to speak to Thames Valley Police."

Superintendent Jim Trotman, head of Oxford police, said he hoped Speak would talk to officers before the protest.

He added: "We will always work with demonstration organisers to facilitate protest within legal boundaries.

"In the planning for this event I will be looking at the Encaenia trial judgment and will also be looking at discussing the event with protest groups."