NFU hosts poultry industry meeting to discuss break-ins by animal rights activists

The poultry industry has told of their growing concern of the recent spate of break-ins by animal rights activists
The poultry industry has told of their growing concern of the recent spate of break-ins by animal rights activists

Poultry industry leaders have met at a summit hosted by the NFU to discuss the problem of farmers being targeted by animal rights protesters.

The industry has seen a recent spate of break-ins on poultry units.

Activists have gained access to chicken sheds at night to take pictures or videos of birds in dim lighting, before releasing the footage some time later.

Often farmers do not know the break-in has happened until the media gets in touch with them.

One delegate at the summit reported people dismantling ventilation systems to gain access to chicken sheds. Fencing had been cut and mesh fixed across ventilation ducts kicked in.

They had spotted the intruders when they looked back on CCTV footage, but had had no reason to check it at the time.

Another member had been targeted following the publication of a planning application, while one reported that they had taken on a graduate, who went into the facility with a button-hole camera and staged pictures during her lunch break.

“A picture speaks a thousand words, whatever you or your vet says,” one farmer said.

Anti-stalking laws

NFU’s chief legal adviser Nina Winter advised delegates at the summit that it is not a criminal offence for someone to be trespassing on farm, or in poultry sheds filming birds. She said that trespass is a civil offence.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such crime as breaking and entering in the UK.

Ms Winter said that in the law, a person cannot cause harassment or distress to an animal, but if there is a pattern of harassment against a farmer then anti-stalking laws could be employed.

She said it was these laws that were used by members who had been victimised during badger cull protests.

Farmers can sue for defamation or causing loss by unlawful means in the civil courts, but activists are unlikely to have the funds to be able to pay damages.

Reporting every incident to the police is the only way to tackle the problem on a national scale, Ms Winter said.

Delegates at the meeting agreed to send a letter to Defra outlining the industry's concerns and raising awareness of this issue.