GILLIAN ANDERSON - ANDERSON'S EFFORTS PAY OFF FOR PETA

Actress GILLIAN ANDERSON's efforts against an animal testing company are paying off, after a Virginia court ruled video footage showing the animals' plight can be screened.

Former X-FILES star Anderson caused a storm of controversy recently, when she showed footage of monkeys being tortured by a Virginia animal testing company on her website in support of animal rights activists People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Earlier this year (05), PETA was served with a cease and desist lawsuit by attorneys representing laboratory Covance Inc, after they aired the disturbing footage, shot during an 11-month undercover investigation.

But the legal threat didn't deter Anderson from putting the footage - which allegedly features workers hitting, choking, taunting and deliberately tormenting terrified monkeys - on her own website.

And in the first stage of the battle, a Virginia court has now ruled that PETA can show video. A final decision on the footage has yet to be made.