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Protests ban at guinea pig farm
Dec 3 2004
Villagers living near a farm which breeds guinea pigs for medical research have failed in an initial court bid to stop animal rights activists entering a 200 square kilometre exclusion zone.
A High Court judge said the proposed no-go area was far too wide.
But he did grant a temporary order banning protesters from going within 100 metres of Darley Oaks Farm at Newchurch, Staffordshire, except for the purpose of limited peaceful demonstrations.
The farm owners and 4,500 residents of six surrounding parishes had argued that they needed immediate protection from a campaign of intimidation and harassment.
They cited "sinister events, including the theft of the body from a churchyard grave and an arson attack on a company which supplied products to the farm.
