The announcement of closure of Darley Oaks farm aroused a mix of feelings in the people at the forefront of the battle. Emma Pinch talked to some of them...
Home-made bombs, smashed windows and vicious smear campaigns.
Darley Oaks Timeline
* September 6, 1999 A police investigation is launched after animal rights activists steal up to 600 guinea pigs from Darley Oaks Farm. The Animal Liberation Front said it had received an anonymous note from animal rights activists claiming the burglary was the start of a campaign against the farm. * October 7, 2003 Police blame animal rights activists for spreading false rumours in the Cannock area about a man with links to the farm. The self-employed fuel supplier was targeted in leaflets distributed to his neighbours, falsely alleging he was a convicted paedophile. * November 14, 2003 Animal rights protesters are blamed for a failed arson attack on a home linked to the farm. Army bomb disposal experts are called in after a dozen fireworks were hurled at the address in Burton-on-Trent. Around half of the devices detonated, but no damage was caused. * October 7, 2004 A member of the public discovers the grave of Gladys Hammond has been desecrated. Thieves have stolen the body of the 82-year-old mother-in-law of Christopher Hall, who co-owns the farm, from the graveyard at St Peters Church, Yoxall. * October 16, 2004 The Hall family vow to continue running the business. A candlelit service and rededication of the churchyard is held. * October 18, 2004 Mrs Hammonds family receive hate mail from animal rights extremists claiming to be in possession of her remains. * October 19, 2004 Home Secretary David Blunkett pledges to tighten the law to prevent workers being intimidated by animal rights extremists. * December 2, 2004 Villagers living near the farm fail in an initial court bid to stop animal rights activists entering a 200 square kilometre exclusion zone. A High Court judge grants a temporary order banning protesters from going within 100 metres of the farm except for the purpose of limited peaceful demonstrations. * December 15, 2004 Staffordshire Police commence an unsuccessful two-and-a-half day search of nearby woodland in the hunt for Mrs Hammonds remains. * January 17, 2005 A High Court judge bans named campaigners and animal rights organisations from going within 250 metres of premises occupied by the Halls employees and their suppliers and contractors. Some of the defendants named in the action agreed to their protests outside the site entrance being limited in time, frequency and the number of demonstrators. * March 15, 2005 Detectives investigating the theft of Mrs Hammonds body make an appeal for information on BBC1s Crimewatch UK programme. * March 17, 2005 Villagers living near the farm fail in their High Court attempt to ban animal rights activists from a 77 square-mile zone around their homes. * May 5, 2005 Staffordshire Police start an unsuccessful three-day search of 90-acre Brakenhurst Woods, near Newchurch, in the hunt for Mrs Hammonds body. The search followed letters sent from a group calling itself the Animal Rights Militia to a number of local media organisations claiming that one-sixth of Mrs Hammonds remains were in a sealed plastic container buried 2ft underground in the woods. * August 23, 2005 David Hall and Partners announce the business will cease breeding guinea pigs at the end of 2005. |
For Staffordshire villagers linked rightly or wrongly with the Halls controversial business, even everyday tasks like walking the dog meant running the gauntlet.
Dot and Rod Harvey from Burntwood, Staffordshire, were one such couple. Like many others a campaign of violence waged against them forced the pair to curtail their business with Darley Oaks Farm.
But like many of their neighbours, it is with mixed feelings that they are witnessing this particular end to the six-year saga.
It appears that terrorists have won, said Rod Harvey. Thats what really gets my goat.
Dot Harvey, aged 70, and her husband Rod, 62, were targeted because they supplied Darley Oaks farm with fuel for its tractors.
The grandparents, also from Burntwood, had windows smashed and their cars and house daubed with paintstripper.
At one stage they were receiving up to 75 threatening phone calls a day.
But they stood firm until a terrifying night-time attack by men wearing balaclavas forced them to cut their ties with the farm.
I was just going to bed when a brick came through the window and hit my foot, said Mr Harvey.
I thought Thats it, I cannot stand it any more. We were targeted for no reason we had nothing to do with the guinea pigs. All I did was deliver fuel about four times a year.
They share the feeling echoed across the local community yesterday what happened here was terrorism, pure and simple. And terrorism had been allowed to win.
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Conservative MP Michael Fabricant went further. My concern is that many of these animal rights terrorists and I call them terrorists advisedly will think its a big victory for them and this will actually incentivise them to do similar things with similar organisations.
Newborough parish councillor Peter Clamp said the Halls decision to close their guinea pig breeding business had been partly based on feeling it was up to them to do what they could to protect the local community.
The desecration of Gladys Hammonds grave was the most hideous thing, he said. But there was much that was despicable that did not even get into the papers after a while.
They planted bombs in the fields. They erected what can be loosely described as roman candle fireworks, with gas canisters attached to a slowly burning fuse. It would be set off indiscriminately as people walked their dogs nearby.
"No-one was hurt but it set off a rampage of cows and a few animals were killed which was rather ironic.
Mr Clamp led a High Court application, on behalf of residents in seven parishes, to create a 200-square kilometre exclusion zone from which certain animal rights protesters would be banned.
After considering the case for two months, the judge decided against a no-go area.
Does Mr Clamp think the law failed the villagers?
In the early days the Government should have taken on board laws which were more draconian to step in and deal with these people before we went to court, he said.
At our case in March the judge was saying if these people step over the mark they had no alternative but to introduce legislation to put them away for a long time.
It has been quite peaceful since March, so they have taken on board what we have done. We did stop the extremists.
Johnny Holmes has demonstrated with campaign group Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs every Sunday for six years.
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He was quick to point out that the group did not condone violence. But he was far from condemning it either.
Our group have always been into relentless demonstration against Darley Oaks Farm and relentless exposure wearing abusers down is very effective, he said.
Illegal activity has worked as much as legal activity. We couldnt condone it but it would be naive to deny its effect too.
"These tactics have been employed in almost every liberation struggle throughout history.
Not a single worker or family member has been hurt in any protest in six years but weve had people hospitalised by people involved in their business.
He said they would go on campaigning until all the guinea pigs at Darley Oaks had been safely re-homed.
