Farmer sprays slurry at travellers
14 August 2000
Farmer sprays slurry at travellers
By FWi staff
A SOMERSET farmer sprayed travellers with pig slurry when they refused to leave his land, reports the Daily Mail .
Derek Mead, of Kewstoke, near Weston-super-Mare says he was forced to do this because police would not move on the 60-strong group.
However, the travellers are still there and Mr Mead, a leading light in the Farmers for Action group, fears he may have to pay for a police presence on the site.
Mr Mead and a group of friends drove to the camp with five tractors, muck spreaders and a JCB and began spreading muck.
Police moved in and a stand off developed.
Mr Mead said he was exercising his right as he wants to farm his land.
But one of the travellers told the newspaper it was a disgrace the way they were treated and said she was worried for children in the group.
In an editorial the Mail says it cannot help but wonder how many isolated farms and cottages are being burgled while the forces of law and order are mustered to protect lawbreakers.
In July Suffolk farmer Tony Warin sprayed travellers with slurry to get them to leave his land.