Animal rights activists held a demonstration at a UK farm which is the focus of a major campaign to expose animal abuse in the dairy industry.

Activists from Colchester Animal Save have tirelessly campaigned against Wigboro Wick Farm in Essex – and the group held a protest at the farm this month. 

The protest follows a campaign by welfare group Surge which involved hidden cameras at dairy farms in the UK – and Colchester Animal Save says some of the footage was filmed at Wigboro. 

The Dismantle Dairy campaign revealed ‘repeated incidences of punching, kicking, excessive tail twisting, swearing/shouting, beating with sticks, separation of calves from their mothers, force-feeding of calves and the disposal of calves’, Surge told Totally Vegan Buzz in December.

Colchester Animal Save wants to continue the momentum and raise awareness for the conditions animals are subjected to in the dairy industry. 

A spokesman for Colchester Animal Save said in a statement: “In the end we had a total of 25 activists stand with us.

“The protest has got everyone talking about it and even re sharing the footage from Surge. Everyone has been outraged.”

Response

Wigboro said it took immediate action in the farm’s dairy unit following the campaign by Surge – disciplining staff and adding new training. 

A spokesman told the Colchester Gazette: “Smith Farms Dairy Unit is a family-run farm and we are proud to supply high quality and wholesome milk for the public to enjoy.

“Some people might like to see family farms likes ours shut down as a matter of principle, but we believe that dairy products are part of a healthy and sustainable diet.

“People vote with their shopping trolleys and 99.8per cent of the population continue to buy dairy products.

“We are not hidden away from the public, far from it. “We’ve run Open Farm Sunday days where interested consumers can have a look round the farm and see where their milk comes from.

“We attend local shows with our animals as part of our engagement with consumers.

“The milk we supply comes from cows we look after here and their health and welfare is our number one priority.

“That’s in our own interests too because healthy cows are happy cows and happy cows produce more milk.

“We are always working to improve standards in all areas and the farm is monitored regularly by outside bodies.”

• Read: Vegan activists hijack ‘Februdairy’ with massive ad campaign revealing the brutality of the dairy industry

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Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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