County pig farmers join factory blockade

About 50 people travelled down to Lincolnshire in a specially-chartered bus to take part in yesterday's demonstration outside the gates of Key Country Foods Ltd.

Between late morning and the end of the working day, about 90 protesters succeeded in stopping lorries coming in and out of the plant's four entrances.

The pig farmers were angry that the company imports foreign pigmeat to sell in this country.

It was the first daytime blockade, but the first of many according to the British Pig Industry Support Group, which organised it.

Humberside Police officers were out in force during yesterday's protest on the Foxhills industrial estate at Scunthorpe.

Six police vans were despatched to the site and a police helicopter circled overhead.

The demonstration passed off peacefully and the police made no effort to make the protesters move on.

Chris Snowball, who farms at Scorton, near Catterick, was one of those who travelled down on the bus from Thirsk.

"This is to highlight a lot of the pig farmers who are going out of business," he said:

"We are getting no help from the Government. In this country, we have laws about the welfare of pigs that they don't have in Europe.

"Europeans are getting subsidies. But our Government is giving us nothing, and it isn't stopping the imports. People should be buying British."

Annette Wilkin, who farms at Hessay, near York, said: "We are here for a fairer deal. We have been asked to produce a welfare-friendly product.

"We have complied with all of the regulations, but people have turned their backs on us by selling imported meat that doesn't have the same restrictions."

She added: "We feel very let down and we have to do something. The only way is to cause disruption.

"This plant is one of those which imports foreign meat. We will keep doing this, wherever necessary, to save our livelihoods."

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