Michael Fabricant has welcomed the announcement in the Queen’s Speech
that there will be tougher laws to control animal rights extremists.
“This fulfils the promise made to me a few weeks back by David Blunkett,
the Home Secretary” explains Michael. “The legislation will forbid the
harassment of two or more people employed by or supplying an
organisation, such as Darley Oaks Farm, and will create a new offence of
protesting outside people’s homes.

“This will give power to the police to intervene when constituents in
Yoxall and elsewhere have been intimidated and threatened. This is long
overdue and I welcome this.

“However, I am very concerned about the lack of police resources
available to enforce the law. Damage to private property is already
illegal and yet the police have not been able to prevent attacks on cars
and houses – let alone churchyards – by animal rights extremists. This
is not a bad reflection on Staffordshire Police: instead, it is a poor
reflection on the lack of resources the Government give our police
forces.

“The police cannot be everywhere and unless the Government give the
police adequate funds to increase the size of the police service, it
will be difficult to enforce this new law particularly as recent
additional burdens have been put on the police force including
exercising the ban on hunting.

“Laws are only effective if the police are able to enforce them. A
Conservative Government is pledged to increase the size of the police
force by 40,000 officers”.