Civil Liberties

The Welsh Assembly’s Tuberculosis Eradication Order makes it compulsory for landowners to allow government contractors for the cull onto their land, even if it is against their wishes.

Until now only badger sett surveys have taken place throughout the pilot zone, but these have attracted a great deal of controversy.

On May 18th there were reports of an eight hour stand-off between landowners refusing to grant access to their land and sett surveyors, wearing balaclavas to conceal their identities, accompanied by police and assembly representatives.

Arrests

The incident happened at the alternative lifestyle community, Brithdir Mawr, near Newport and resulted in the arrests of two men from the community.

Community dweller, Tony Haigh was arrested by police. Talking after the incident he said: “I was just trying to get them to produce all the paperwork that they were supposed to, but they got fed up and tried go through the gate.

“We blocked the gate from them, but then the police arrested us.”

Mr Haigh was released without charge later that day.

Felicia Ruperti, also from the community said: “We’d received a letter from the assembly urging us to ask for their identity cards, but the surveyors were wearing balaclavas and they wouldn’t take them off.

“I don’t see how you can check someone’s identity without seeing their face.”

The WAG released a statement following the events stating that; the men were trying to protect their identities through fear of intimidation by individuals and the media, and that the WAG had been granted the powers to enter the land of cull area residents by the court.

NFU Cymru Deputy President, Stephen James spoke in defence of the contractors and the WAG: “There were a lot of people there that day opposing the contractors, and a lot of cameras.

“They put masks on to protect their identities and to stop their faces being put on the internet. They were well known to the authorities and not threatening.”

Rights of landowners

MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, Stephen Crabb has voiced his opinion regarding the Tuberculosis Eradication Order.

The removal of the rights of landowners to refuse entry to their property has caused outrage in the pilot zone.

Landowner in the cull area, Mike Joseph said: “These sort of measures are normally used in cases when there is a fatal threat to humans. Imposing this for a disease which infects cattle is going too far.”

Police measures

Liberal Democrat AM, Peter Black has spoken out against the measures taken by the WAG and Dyfed Powys Police in relation to the badger cull. Listen to a audio interview on the subject.