Singer Will Young said handcuffing himself to the gates of Camp Beagle was a “peaceful, direct protest” as he spoke passionately about animal rights.

The Pop Idol winner, 42, visited MBR Acres in November to campaign for the closure of facility in Wyton and to end the use of beagles in laboratory testing.

He said some people may have thought he had a “breakdown” when he refused to move from by chaining himself to the entrance.

Speaking on ITV's Lorraine on last week, Will said: “I handcuffed myself to the gates of a place in Cambridgeshire called MBR Acres that breeds more than 2,000 beagle puppies a year for animal testing.

“I think people thought I had a breakdown.

“There are more than 600 places in the UK that still test on puppies and some charities do too.”

Likening his passion for animal rights to the current political situation, Will added: “If you feel hopeless about any situation - peaceful, direct protest.

“That's what I recommend… We live in a democracy, so you can.”