Papers hail Exmoor cull rebel

8 May 2001



Papers hail Exmoor cull rebel

By FWi staff

BRITAINS newspapers are captivated by the story of a farmer who barricaded his farm to prevent his livestock being culled because of foot-and-mouth.

Guy Thomas-Everard blocked entrances to his farm just days before his 980 animals were due to become the first livestock to be culled on Exmoor.

He dismissed claims that the animals, which show no sign of foot-and-mouth, are at risk from the disease following indirect contact with an infected herd.

The “confrontation blotted an otherwise hopeful day with only three new cases reported to the ministry,” reports the Financial Times.

The Daily Mail reports that hundreds of local villagers have pledged to join a stand-off against Ministry of Agriculture slaughtermen.

According to The Independent, however, MAFF officials have insisted that there will be no reprieve for Mr Thomas-Everards livestock.

The paper also reports that the actress Joanna Lumley has backed the owner of a animal sanctuary who is fighting a similar proposed cull in Scotland.

Juanita Wilson has invested 10,000 of her life savings in a legal challenge to try to save 14 goats and three sheep from slaughter in Dumfries and Galloway.

The Daily Express says both cases “demonstrate a mood of anger among the owners of animals condemned despite showing no signs of the disease”.