Council concedes defeat in fight against sheep exports

Council leaders in Brightlingsea, scene of violent clashes between police and animal rights demonstrators, admitted yesterday there would be "no prospect of success" in taking court action to halt the export of livestock from the Essex port.

Legal action has been ruled out at Brightlingsea because the port, unlike Shoreham, is privately owned and the council admitted it had no influence over what is brought in or taken out of the port. The decision of the port authority at Shoreham to end its animal exporting contract makes it likely that Brightlingsea will become a leading livestock export centre.

There were also growing fears among the town's civic leaders that protests at Brightlingsea will greatly increase as activists converge there to attempt another Shoreham-style victory. The town's mayor, Ric Morgan, said: "There is now great concern this will mean the demonstrations here will escalate.''

Yesterday, street confrontations - which this week have seen daily clashes between 250 police and 500 animal rights protesters - continued despite bad weather prevented the sailing of a vessel holding 1,000 sheep that were loaded on Thursday. No further lorries arrived for shipment. The council may now explore lobbying the Department of the Environment, arguing the town's narrow roads cannot handle increased lorry traffic.

At Shoreham, the port authority, which owns the dockland, has control over business contracts. However, at Brightlingsea the wharf is owned by Ernie Oliver, a businessman. The council finally accepted yesterday that it had no influence over what type of cargo was brought in or exported from Brightlingsea.

Mr Oliver has a six-month shipping contract with Richard Otley and Roger Mills, livestock exporters, who say they have a legal right to export and intend to continue.

Such independence from council interference will increase the attractiveness of Brightlingsea to potential livestock exporters seeking new contracts.

About 85 per cent of Brightlingsea's harbour-area income comes from leisure yachting. A sand berth and visiting yachting provide a further 10 per cent. The wharf brings in only 5 per cent of the harbour's business.

Mr Morgan, who owns one of the town's large yachting and chandlery businesses, said: "More wharf business will destroy the existing leisure industry and kill the prospect of future investment. What chance has this place got if it becomes a stockyard, with lorries trundling through the streets?''

t Dover Harbour Board may have found a legal way to ban the live transport of animals.

The board decided on 6 January to stop the trade operating through the port by passing amendments to legislation governing the port to prevent civil unrest disrupting other users.

The country's big ports have their own governing legislation that allows them to ban certain types of cargo if they threaten to disrupt other harbour users. Milbay Docks in Plymouth and Brightlingsea are now the only viable routes to the Continent for the traders.