A little local trouble

A weekly round-up of rural rumpuses

Villagers at Strensall, near York, pleaded with animal rights protestors to leave them in peace after a demonstration on Sunday. The village is the home of Albert Hall Farms, Britain's biggest exporter of veal calves, and protestors have been marching there weekly to lay wreaths "in memory" of the 250,000 calves exported each year. Cyril Rambridge, who has lived in the village all his life, said: "They use the churchyard as a toilet and swear in front of the children. Most villagers have a lot of respect for the Hall family and feel very sorry for them. They employ dozens of local people." The local police have also criticised the protestors: assigning officers to demonstrations at the farm has cost the force pounds 180,000. However, a spokesman for Yorkshire Against Live Animal Exports said: "These demonstrations will continue until this barbaric trade is stopped. We have had a lot of support from local people; some have said the sound of calves screaming out into the night keeps them awake."

Environmental health officers traced a foul stench affecting people in north-east Fife to a remote pig farm. Hot weather and a south-easterly wind were blamed for carrying the smell over the Tay to Dundee. But the farmer, who spread pig slurry over two fields but failed to plough it in, could not contacted as he had gone on holiday.