40 police officers raid animal rights meeting

AN ANIMAL rights campaigner has slammed a police raid on her home as a waste of public money.

More than 40 police officers from Thames Valley Police and Kent Police raided Friend Animal Rescue Centre in Bush Road, East Peckham, at 4pm on Sunday afternoon.

Animal rights campaigners had been gathering on land at the centre, owned by campaigner Marion Eaton, since Friday for an annual meeting.

Activists used mobile phones to film officers as they inspected a caravan on the land, before searching a coach used to house campaigners over the weekend.

Mrs Eaton said: "This road has been full of police since the end of last week. They have been videoing people, taking names.

"I don't know what they are worried about. It's just a gathering for like-minded people that get together to discuss what's going on."

She added: "I would be interested in finding out how much it has cost for the police to do this. It's a waste of taxpayers money."

The police operation follows another raid on the same farm in May, which formed part of Operation Achilles, a national operation investigating criminal activity associated with animal rights.

No-one from Kent Police was available for comment on Sunday afternoon.