News Release

14th January 2005

ANIMAL RIGHTS INJUNCTION

The High Court will hear Cllr Peter Clamp's application for an injunction on Monday 17th January. Michael Fabricant says: "I hope on behalf of my constituents that Peter Clamp's application to the High Court will be successful. This reign of terror which has afflicted many of my constituents has gone on long enough. Peaceful protests are legitimate. Threats of violence, assault, damage to property, and desecration of graves are not. A ban on activists entering the area will help to prevent this".

In a formal note to the Court in support of the injunction, Michael wrote: "I am writing in support of the application for injunctive relief which covers the parishes of Newborough, Yoxall, Draycott, Hanbury, Tatenhill, Barton under Needwood and Hoar Cross in my Parliamentary constituency. In particular I give my unreserved support to the representative action undertaken by Peter Clamp on behalf of the wider community and of those of my constituents who reside in the above named parishes.

"The support for Mr Clamp's action on behalf of the wider community is overwhelming and explains why he was obliged to undertake the extension of the action from the original two parishes to the seven parishes which have now been included in the application. Significant numbers of my constituents have indicated that they would like to be protected by this action and give their support to it. However, such is the climate of fear caused by this long and escalating campaign of intimidation and nuisance that many of them are no longer willing to do so publicly, or even anonymously, on an individual basis."