The family of an 82-year-old woman whose body was stolen from her grave are to stop breeding guinea pigs for medical research after a six-year campaign of intimidation by animal rights activists.

A spokeswoman for David Hall and Partners in Staffordshire said that the business would shut down its guinea pig breeding operations at Darley Oaks Farm in Newchurch in December.

The Hall family has been subjected to a hate campaign by animal rights extremists. They said that they hoped the decision would prompt grave robbers to return the body of Gladys Hammond, whose remains were stolen from a churchyard in nearby Yoxall.

In a statement, the Hall family said: "David Hall and Partners’ involvement in breeding guinea pigs for biomedical research will cease at the end of 2005. The business, which has operated for over three decades, will undergo a phased closure until then to ensure the welfare of animals involved.

"The business has continued during a sustained protest from animal rights extremists for six years, which included the desecration of the grave of Gladys Hammond last October. We now hope that, as a result of this announcement, those responsible for removing Gladys’ body will return her so she can lie once again in her rightful resting place.

"David Hall and Partners are planning a return to traditional farming. They have no plans to be involved in any way in the breeding of animals for medical or scientific research."

Gladys Hammond was the mother-in-law of Christopher Hall, who co-owns Darley Oaks Farm with his brother John. Her body was stolen from its coffin in a grave at St Peter’s church in October, seven years after her death. No-one has been charged over the desecration of her grave.

The campaign of intimidation against the Halls included firebomb attacks, a paedophile smear campaign and the cutting of electricity and phone lines.

A spokesman for Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs, who gave his name as Johnny and would not reveal his surname, said: "This is the most fantastic day of my life.

"It’s a victory for the animals and it’s a fundamental victory for the animal rights movement. I feel so unbelievably proud to be part of the movement.

"Ideally, I wish they would close down today and hand them over. We want those guinea pigs out. We want those animals out of there. Such charming and sentient animals should not be incarcerated within windowless sheds."

Johnny, who has been involved in the campaign against the farm from the start, said that he thought it had been the combination of legal and illegal pressure on the farm that had brought about today’s decision.

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