An animal rights protester has been served a restraining order after trying to disrupt the construction of a £15 million research centre at the University of Leicester.

Robert Massey tried to stop builders working on the university's Central Research Facility, where bio-medical research will be carried out using rodent testing.

The 45-year-old scrawled graffiti around the building site in Lancaster Road, threw leaflets into the complex to try to persuade labourers to stop working, and also broke into the secured site.

Massey was given 100 hours' community service, the restraining order and ordered to pay £301 compensation when he appeared at Leicester Magistrate's' Court on Friday having admitted to the graffiti and two civil offences of trying to get building firm Wilmott Dixon to terminate their contract with the university.

Cheng Yeak, for the prosecution, said Massey was recorded on CCTV.

Gavin Haigh, in mitigation, said Massey, of Willoughby Court, Nottingham, had admitted to police that he considered starting a fire in the facility but decided not to.

The restraining order will last until June 19 and bars Massey from entering certain parts of Regent Road, University Road and Welford Road, except when conducting a protest at a designated site outside the university's Hodgkinson building.