Animal rights extremists target South Lakeland (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Animal rights extremists target South Lakeland

2:41pm Friday 23rd November 2007 in News By Paul Duncan

POLICE are investigating three targeted attacks at restaurants and farms in South Lakeland which they believe are the work of animal rights extremists.

The attacks which included causing criminal damage to vehicles and buildings at Sillfield Farm in Gatebeck, Westmorland County Showground at Endmoor and L'enclume restaurant in Cartmel took place overnight on Thursday.

A police spokesman said a total of eight vehicles were damaged in the attacks.

A spokesman at Sillfield farm, which is famous for its stocks of wild boar, said that a number of vehicles had their tyres slashed and were daubed with slogans relating to animal rights such as "No Boar."

Sillfield Farm was targeted by animal rights activists, who damaged property and set a number of wild boars free, in April this year.

Cumbria police has notified the counter terrorism unit which routinely investigates incidents of animal extremism.