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C4PMC

Masked extremists attack Peak District farm and threaten employees


An extremist saboteur group have launched continuous attacks on a farm in Moscar, in the Peak District, over the lockdown period, causing damage to farm equipment and disturbance to farm animals.

The group have also launched an orchestrated campaign of intimidation on employees including vile personalised internet attacks, and have manipulated footage from illegally placed undercover surveillance cameras.

The group carried destroyed a number of legal traps across the farm and farmworkers were harassed by activists filming their vehicles, in a direct contravention of the lockdown rules.

Police across the country have been repeatedly warning animal rights extremists not to tamper with traps, and have expressed their frustration at the continued ignorance of some extremists. Legally set traps allow farmers and gamekeepers to protect livestock, such as lambs, as well as ground nesting birds/chicks, many of which are endangered.

The extremists' latest ‘Facebook stunt’ involves using covertly obtained video footage of a badger, accidentally caught in a legal fox snare. The animal was removed from the site by activists before the operator of the snare performed their morning checks. These actions undoubtedly resulted in the badger suffering far greater stress than being quickly and quietly released by the operator, as can be clearly seen from their footage, which was posted on social media.


The snare trap which was used is a type which goes over and beyond the legal requirements in that they follow a strict Code of Practice meaning that if a non-target species is accidentally caught they are able to safely release the animal unharmed. The gamekeepers do not target the Wildlife Reserves as HIT have suggested, the estate carry out pest and predator control on their own land or on land in which they have written permission on.

In the last three months alone the farm in question has had thousands of pound’s worth of illegal damage caused, with over 40 snares either broken or stolen and reported to the Police. Furthermore this group of activists, HIT, have instigated a vile and deeply personal hate campaign against a young gamekeeper doing his job, by publishing illegally obtained footage on private property accompanied by misleading statements and personal details of him on the internet. No one should have to accept this intrusion. One of the activists has been caught and has been taken into police custody for questioning.

A spokesperson for C4PMC said: “These extremists are not only causing widespread criminal damage but they are now trying to intimidate and harass young farmworkers. Sadly though, it is what we have come to expect from such criminals who hide under the façade of ‘animal rights’, when in fact they are just hell bent on causing destruction and harming hard-working people’s job. At a time when our moorland communities face unprecedented social and economic challenges, the last thing they need is masked criminals running around vandalising equipment and carrying out online harassment. We condemn the actions of this group in the strongest possible terms.”

A recent investigation showed the extent that some of these activists were going to, by manipulating evidence in order to harm innocent people’s lives. In one example involving Luke Steele, an activist was known to have sent letters to the neighbours of a testing lab scientist claiming he was a rapist. Farm workers have also found their names listed on websites as paedophiles.

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