Brixham farmer Richard Haddock removes RSPCA boxes from his shop after badger cull comments

“It is highly disingenuous of Mr Haddock to state, "There is no shame in trying to rid the countryside of unhealthy badgers" when the proposed badger cull will make no effort to target only "unhealthy" badgers and, as a consequence, will kill far more healthy badgers than unhealthy badgers. The badger cull strategy, as supported by Mr Haddock, is a nonsense and is recognised as such by virtually every animal disease scientist in the country.

Similarly, Mr Haddock and his "customers" are wrong to attack the RSPCA, which is doing exactly what it should be doing - vigorously defending the welfare of wild animals against an irrational, vindictive and callous government working hand-in-glove with the appallingly regressive NFU. From now on I will only buy produce from farm shops that DO HAVE RSPCA collecting boxes on their counters!”

“I use farm shops because their general ethos is about animal welfare. I stopped using farmer Haddock's shop sometime ago after hearing about he's attitude to animal welfare, not just the badger cull.
So this R.S.P.C.A thing comes as no surprise to me.
It's quite amazing that a farm shop owner would remove RSPCA boxes from he's shop, it also shows himself up for what he is.
This must be the only farm shop owner in the country to be anti RSPCA - customer beware.”

“Othursty1
For your enlightenment;
I am definitely not a lady
I am in full time employment that has a significant impact on the lives of many disadvantaged people - the nature of the work means this is today's 'lunch' break.
i have been employed pretty much my whole adult life.
The actions of the RSPCA are hardly communist as the aim is to disrupt a process. This is a different political order (or, more correctly, disorder). Unfortunately, those who sit just to the left of Adolf think everyone further up the bench a Communist.
Perhaps Mr Haddock should have opened up a debate with the RSPCA in an adult and mature manner rather than throwing a tantrum and, oh yes, the one main reason for all this, getting his mug in the paper and some free publicity for his business
If you are going to admonish me for 'not reading', please have the grace to learn how to spell first - a failure normally demonstrated by those who rarely read anything more challenging than the Sun.
I think I'lll increase my monthly donation.”

“Cruey - you say "this will affect the care of the animals in the care of the RSPCA needing to be re-homed". I applaud the RSPCA for the care they provide, and their fund-raising activities to be able to provide that care. If, however, the RSPCA (or 'representatives' of the charity) chose to make such inflammatory statements, they should expect certain sections of the community to react against it - as has happened.

The RSPCA are not stupid people - they would (or should) have considered the fall-out from the statements they made, and balanced this against the needs of the animals in their care (and the money they need to generate). Perhaps their 'extreme' stance is to make them more attractive to the anti-cull lobby, hoping to generate more in donations from this sector than they will lose from the farming community.

There are people who disagree with Mr Haddocks viewpoints and comments - and as such refuse to spend money in his shops, which they are entitled to do - as Mr Haddock is entitled to remove collecting boxes from his shop.

If his customers are so keen to support the RSPCA, they can either find other collection boxes, or some other method of donating.”

“Ok Haddock is entitled to his views .....but this will affect the care of the animals in the care of the RSPCA needing to be rehomed ....... shame on you Haddock. it is not the top brass of the RSPCA that will be affected but the animals ..... I will say that I do not support his hunting etc ... perhaps he does not care about any animal ......”

“Othursty1 your remarks ignore the fact that Richard Haddock is a former regional chairman of the National Farmers' Union. In other words he is not a disinterested bystander.

You say "his actions now are prompted by the shamful acts of the RSPCA and by public opinion of the RSPCAs disgraceful actions - the RSPCA having decided to take matters into their own hands and want to resort to a communist style country. Now, get a job and do something useful with your time."

First public opinion is not on the side of the Pro-Cull arguement even in the south west many more leave comments in these columns against the cull, look at any article about culling badgers and do the counting yourself!

Second YOU may regard RSPCA as having "decided to take matters into their own hands." I am sure they would plead guilty to that. Time and time again the RSPCA has intervened to try and prevent animal cruelty.

Then you make reference to want to resort to "a communist style country." This is just a silly perjorative remark. It smacks of the Macarthyite era and the House of Un-American Activities Committe. Your about sixty years to late!

Finally you state "Now, get a job and do something useful with your time."

Lord Krebs, Dr. Rosie Woodroffe the principal badger ecologist involved in the RBCT trials, and Professor Diana Williams of Liverpool University from Liverpool University's Institute of Infection and Global Health, did. They exposed the poor science behind the cull.

"Chris Rundle writing in the Western Daily Press today said in an article about Brian May "The sickening stench of hypocrisy hangs heavy in the air over Dorset this morning."

You said "You make unfounded accusations, don't research your 'facts' and think everyone should be brainwashed with your opinions." Who is being hypocritical now?”

“Chris Rundle writing in the Western Daily Press today said in an article about Brian May "The sickening stench of hypocrisy hangs heavy in the air over Dorset this morning."

Wouldn't it have been more apposite to have said "The sickening stench of hypocrisy hangs heavy in the air over Brixham this morning?"

Richard Haddock a former regional chairman of the National Farmers' Union, said the tone of the statements ""demonstrates how the RSPCA has been hijacked by political interests". Would it not have been more accurate to talk of Conservative politicians being hijacked by a wealthy industry body?

Those who support the cull know that they have lost the scientific argument and so they attack first Lord Krebs, then Brian May and now the RSPCA. Who is to be attacked next, Dr. Rosie Woodroffe the principal badger ecologist involved in the RBCT trials?

It is poor bio-security and lax cattle controls that have contributed to the Bovine TB disaster.
So what's the solution? Avoid any meaningful expense, and massacre the badger population instead?

The South West NFU Livestock Board gave the game away when it called "for changes to TB testing and movement controls to be delayed until a wildlife cull is under way."

"As the cull has been postponed it is only fair that these other changes are postponed as well," said Alex Stevens, south-west food and farming adviser at the NFU.

"Only fair?" What do the South West NFU Livestock Board imagine cattle controls are for? They are to prevent the entry of infected cattle onto disease free farms.

The above just confirms what many have believed about the farming industry. It's about making money, skimping on common sense measures to reduce the spread of Bovine TB, and shifting any costs that arise shifting the costs onto the tax payer.

The NFU do their members no service by pursuing such a cynical agenda.

http://tinyurl.com/cylr58j”

“It must be quite nice living in Haddock land, where you are the only one who matters and where you can ride roughshod over everyone.
How this man does any business I will never know. I wonder does he know how the majority of the general public feel about him?”

“Ladies, AKA E_Badger, Jungle_Jim and dodge102, did none of you read the article? These three persons partly represent all that is wholy wrong with today's society. You make unfounded accusations, don't research your 'facts' and think everyone should be brainwashed with your opinions. In the report Mr. Haddock neither indorses the government nore RSPCAs stance. What he does say is that something should be done regarding badgers infected with TB. He also says his actions now are prompted by the shamful acts of the RSPCA and by public opinion of the RSPCAs disgraceful actions - the RSPCA having decided to take matters into their own hands and want to resort to a communist style country. Now, get a job and do something useful with your time.”

“The RSPCA for many years has provided a valuable and necessary service to animal welfare.

However, I personally believe their actions in this to be wrong.

The RSPCA have representation to the government at the highest, and Royal, level.

Saying they will name and shame the legitimate participants seems therefore very petty.

This retaliation from a farmer may or may not be justified, but it is certainly understandable.”