Animal rights activists have been fined nearly £60,000 for causing extensive damage to one of Arla's dairy distribution sites in Hertfordshire.

In September 2022, members of the protest group Animal Rising broke into the Hatfield plant, resulting in approximately £100,000 in damage within just 20 minutes.

After a thorough investigation, Hertfordshire Constabulary officers arrested and charged 14 individuals with conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

One individual left the country after their visa expired, and an arrest warrant remains active for this person.

At St Albans Crown Court, it was revealed that some of the activists used cordless drills to puncture the tyres of lorries parked in the yard and bolt cutters to sever air valves, in what was described as a ‘planned and deliberate’ attack.

Eight of the defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced in two hearings on July 31 and August 5.

Five others, who pleaded not guilty, were found guilty by a jury after a three-week trial.

Police reported that five additional suspects, who were arrested in connection with the incident, failed to answer their bail and fled to the Czech Republic, with arrest warrants still outstanding.

In addition to the fines, the 13 convicted defendants were sentenced to a total of 1,550 hours of community service and 168 months of suspended sentences.

Inspector Donna Norris noted that the sentences were the result of nearly two years of work in what had been a challenging and complex investigation.

She underlined: “These 13 defendants turned up at a dairy distribution centre and caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage.

"They were protesting around climate change and animal welfare and, regardless of your views on the topic, this does not mean you can take the law into your own hands and damage property belonging to others.

“This was a pre-planned incident, with much of it filmed and posted on social media. I hope these sentences will reassure the public that we will deal with matters such as these seriously, and that offenders will be brought to justice.”

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, external affairs director for the Countryside Alliance, applauded the sentencing, describing the incident as 'blatant hooliganism and vandalism.'

He commented: “It is right that the offenders have been brought to justice. The public are sick and tired of seeing disruption caused by a handful of obsessive, warped activists and it is commendable that Hertfordshire Constabulary pursued this case so rigorously.”

A spokesperson for Animal Rising criticised the sentences, attributing them to the previous Conservative government’s ‘harsh new protest laws’ and labelling the punishment as ‘harsh.’