Nicola Woolcock, Times Correspondent, describes how a hate campaign against the Hall family from Staffordshire forced them to abandon their Darley Oaks guinea pig farm

"There is a hardcore of probably fewer than 20 animal rights extremists in this country who police believe are responsible for most of the violence against companies linked to animal experiments.

"These activists are backed by perhaps a further 200 who will participate in hate campaigns, and beyond that there are thousands who are happy to protest peacefully.

"The extremists had a great success in shutting down Hillgrove cat farm in Witney, Oxfordshire, about six years ago, and after that, buoyed by their success, they chose Darley Oaks as their next target.

"Activists claim that the guinea pigs bred at the farm for medical research are kept in cruel conditions in big dark sheds, with no exercise or natural light.

"Like the campaign against Huntingdon Life Sciences, the campaign against Darley Oaks quickly became quite vicious. The Halls and their staff have had their windows broken, suffered midnight visits from activists with loudhailers, and had their cars stripped of paint and the tyres slashed.

"Alongside the violence has been a campaign of intimidation, which has affected people even quite remotely connected to the Halls, such as cousins by marriage. The Halls' elderly cleaner resigned after her husband was threatened.

"The activists dug up nine greens at a golf club where John Hall, a partner in the farm, played until the club blacklisted him. They caused disturbances and threatened the Red Lion pub where Mr Hall drank, until the pub owners barred him and his staff from drinking there.

"He sold off his dairy herd after the headquarters of the haulage company collecting the milk was daubed with paint and its vehicles attacked.

"The Halls have also given up their turkey business after the company that supplied their gas was targeted, suffering broken windows and damaged vehicles. A local firm stopped supplying tractor fuel to the Halls after a brick was hurled through the owner's bedroom window.

"One common smear tactic is to send out letters to the neighbours of a Darley Oaks worker, warning them that they are living next door to a dangerous paedophile. There have also been silent phone calls and sympathy cards sent in the post, warning the workers that their children will soon be orphans.

"The campaign apparently climaxed last October when the body of Gladys Hammond, mother-in-law of Christopher Hall, who co-owns Darley Oaks, was dug up from a churchyard.

"Hundreds of police have worked on trying to retrieve the remains, without success. In April, a group calling itself the Animal Rights Militia claimed credit for the grave robbery, and said that one sixth of Mrs Hammond's body was buried in a canister in woods near Newchurch. There is no way of telling if the claims are genuine.

"None of the animal rights extremists will admit to having dug up the body. They say they are gentle people, and that someone else did it to smear their names. When you ask them about the violence they won't openly admit to taking part, but you only have to look on their websites to read anonymous reports claiming responsibility.

"They equate animal rights with the battle for the emancipation of women, or for the abolition of slavery.

"Altogether, police have recorded 290 protests and 170 incidents of violence and intimidation during the campaign. The High Court granted an injunction creating an exclusion zone around the farm but later refused to extend this to encompass the entire community. Villagers had wanted a restricted area measuring 75 sq miles that covered seven parishes..

"The campaign has been devastating for the Hall family. Friends of the Halls always said the family refused to be intimidated, but it seems they have now had enough. They said today that they hope that giving up the business will lead to the return of Mrs Hammond's body.

"Today the extremists are going to be delighted as the closure of the farm is what they wanted all along."

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