VIDEO: Farmers blockade dairies in a night of protests

More than 1,000 farmers turned out to blockade dairy processors in a series of mass protests against milk price cuts.

Organised by Farmers For Action, demonstrations in south-west England, the Midlands and Yorkshire followed a pledge to ratchet up the pressure for the cuts to be reversed.

Dairy farmers continue to demand that price cuts of up to 4p/litre must be reversed in full by 1 August.

More than 400 farmers and 70 tractors blockaded the Robert Wiseman Dairies plant at Bridgwater, Somerset, into the early hours on Friday (20 July).

Farmers also blocked the gates of a nearby 123,000 square foot manufacturing site belonging to the Morrisons supermarket chain.

Organisers said the protests would be the first in a long line of demonstrations unless their demands are met.

In Yorkshire, more than 400 dairy farmers have blockaded the Arla dairy in Leeds and a protest at the Arla plant in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, drew a further 400.

No vehicles carrying milk managed to get into or out of the dairy for several hours as farmers blockaded the entrance from 8pm on Thursday night (19 July).

Farmers For Action said the night of protests had been a resounding success.