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Police plea to animal rights protesters
Oct 20 2004
Police are renewing their call for animal rights campaigners to call off their protests outside a farm run by the family of a woman whose body was stolen from a church graveyard.
Regular pickets are normally mounted outside Darley Oaks Farm in Newchurch, Staffordshire, where guinea pigs are bred for medical research.
Police requested that today's protest be cancelled following the theft of 82-year-old Gladys Hammond's remains from St Peter's Church in nearby Yoxall.
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said emotions continued to run high with the Hall family, who run the guinea pig farm, and local residents.
He said: "Following a community impact assessment, police are asking animal rights protesters not to attend the protest at Newchurch (today).
"Emotions are still high with Mrs Hammond's family and residents of Yoxall following the desecration of Mrs Hammond's grave."
It was revealed earlier this week that the Hall family had received hate mail from animal rights extremists claiming to be in possession of Mrs Hammond's body.
Police thanked campaigners for not attending a protest on Sunday following a similar request and said a further assessment of the situation would be carried out before the next picket, due to be held on Sunday.
