TWELVE HELD OVER DESTRUCTION OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED M

PA 04.08.98 20:50


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By Chris Court, PA News
Twelve people were to be questioned by the police today after a crops trial involving genetically modified maize was feared destroyed in a night-time raid by activists.
The 12 were being held in police custody after a second attack on crops at the trial run by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) at Hood Farm, Dartington, near Totnes, south Devon.
NIAB director, Dr John Macleod, said today first reports indicated that the trial area which contained one genetically modified variety of maize and four conventional control varieties had been destroyed.
He said the Institute, independent of government and industry, had "no axe to grind" and its sole objective was to produce sound scientific data to enable informed discussion and eventual decision.
"I personally find it very frustrating that people take the law into their own hands to destroy the evidence which will allow informed decision," said Dr Macleod.
The latest attack happened last night despite the employment of security guards by NIAB to protect the site following an earlier raid by protesters, which destroyed several hundred square metres of conventional maize.
That happened a week ago but protesters -- claiming to be from the Devon branch of the South West Ethical Consumers Group -- missed the experimental maize which was their intended target.
Devon and Cornwall police launched an investigation into the attack on the site, which was carried out with metal poles.
The police were called to the farm late last night following reports that maize crops were allegedly being damaged with spray, said a Devon and Cornwall force spokesman today.
Twelve people were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage or conspiracy to cause criminal damage, and were kept in custody at Charles Cross police station in Plymouth.
A statement from a group called the Genetic Engineering Network said today that 30 "concerned citizens", many from the Totnes area, had taken "direct action" aimed at preventing the pollination of a genetically engineered crop.
Those involved wore protective clothing to "prevent the spread of genetic contamination", added the statement.
The Network said the failure of recent judicial proceedings over the GM crop site had "compelled local people to risk prosecution and take action to remove a very real threat to both their environment and food supply".
"It is hoped that the attention on this and other sites around the country will focus the government to take the responsibility to initiate a moratorium on the safety of genetic engineering," added the statement.
The Network said last night's action was unrelated to the previous activities at the site of the South West Ethical Consumers Group.
Local organic farmer Guy Watson, 38, has claimed his sweetcorn would be contaminated by the genetically managed maize planted on the experimental site within a mile of his fields, and sought to have the trials stopped.
But a High Court Judge refused him leave to seek a judicial review on the issue, then earlier this month the Court of Appeal ruled no action could be taken against the experimental crop because it had not been proved it was causing harm.

Those in custody were from the Manchester-based action group Genetix Snowball, said a Devon and Cornwall police spokesman today.
They were arrested after a security guard called the police saying that around 20 people in white suits were running round in the field spraying the crop, said the spokesman.
Eight men aged between 20 and 40-years-old, and four women aged between 21 and 35-years-old, were arrested and were now in custody. They were from the Manchester and Bristol areas, said the police.
Samples of the chemical used to spray the crops was being sent for analysis, added the spokesman.

The Manchester based GenetiX Snowball campaign group said today that they were not involved in the incident involving the genetically-engineered maize at Hood Barton farm in Totnes, south Devon.
It was at one stage today understood from a Devon and Cornwall police source that members of the group were involved, but a force spokesman later confirmed they had not taken part in the incident.

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