Good Morning Britain star and wildlife presenter Anneka Svenska has been left “shaking” after police confronted her at her home in Kent in June 2026 over a video she posted online. The 52-year-old, known for shows like When TV Animals Go Horribly Wrong and It’s Me or the Dog, described the incident as an “attack on free speech”.
Video criticism and police response
In January 2026, Svenska, an animal rights campaigner, posted a video criticising MBR Acres, a Cambridgeshire-based facility that breeds dogs for animal testing. The company, the only UK site breeding dogs for testing, accused her of “making false allegations”.
Two officers visited her home and asked if she would accept a “community resolution”, which would require her to complete two online courses in two weeks – “thinking skills” and “impact of crime”. This would also mean she would be listed as an “offender” in her criminal record, potentially affecting DBS checks.
Refusal and case dropped
Svenska refused to sign the documents, insisting her claims were accurate and verified. The case was subsequently dropped by police with no further action taken.
In a video posted to X, she fumed: “It's rather frightening that a company can make a complaint about somebody like me and have two officers turn up on my doorstep like that.
“Police should be out catching violent criminals, burglars and stalkers, not knocking on the doors of peaceful campaigners. I once reported a stalker and nothing happened. Yet officers were sent to my house after a complaint from a company.”
Broader concerns and celebrity support
She added: “If campaigners can face police intervention after speaking out about one of Britain's most controversial animal industries, where does that leave freedom of expression on animal welfare? Or indeed freedom of expression on the whole?
“This is about far more than me. It's about whether people can peacefully question industries that many members of the public find ethically troubling.
“The UK is a nation of dog lovers and almost everyone I know has a dog. It's abhorrent to think that there are thousands of dogs living parallel lives to our pets right now, undergoing painful, brutal tests while our own dogs are treated like our own children.”
Svenska told the Telegraph she was “intimidated” by the police and “shaking” over the “absolute violation”. MBR Acres has faced calls from celebrities including Amanda Holden, Chris Packham and Dame Joanna Lumley to shut down.
