Protestors campaign to ‘shame’ super-dairy planners

Animal welfare campaigners have launched a campaign to raise money to “shame” the farmers behind plans to build a 8100-cow dairy in Nocton in Lincolnshire.

Members of activist group 38 Degrees are calling for donations to raise £5000 to pay for full-page newspapers advertisements against “factory farms”.

The group said it wants to embarrass two companies involved in the dairy, Blankney Estates and EM Howard Ltd, into pulling out of the plans.

The move comes after a key partner in the project pulled out of the project amid opposition from local residents.

Nearby pig-farming company Patrick Dean Ltd had intended to make more than 800ha (2000 acres) of farmland available for slurry spreading from the dairy.

But managing director David Knott withdrew the offer, fearing the “unwelcome public attention which is being drawn to the project”.

A statement on the 38 Degrees website claimed a petition against super-dairy plans on its website, which has so far been signed by 21,000 people, had forced Mr Knott to make the decision.

“Right now all the businesses involved are thinking ‘Is the public criticism worth it? Should we quit too?’,” the statement added.

“If we can convince them the pressure is only going to get worse, they’ll be more likely to cave in and the factory farm project will collapse.”

Raising money to take out advertisements in local newspapers “exposing their involvement” could force the remaining parties to pull out, the statement added.

By 2pm on Tuesday, 245 people had donated to the campaign, raising £2693.