Four fined for destroying crops at GM test site

Four people have been fined after being found guilty of destroying crops at a GM test site near Edinburgh.

Alan Tolmie was fined £250 and the other protesters - Mark Ballard, Matthew Herbert and James Mackenzie - were all fined £125 each at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

They were found guilty of wilfully and recklessly destroying conventional oil seed rape plants during a protest at Boghall farm in March last year. The damaged plants - estimated as being worth just £1.50 - were being grown near to the GM crops as a decoy.

All the accused maintained not guilty pleas, asserting that what they did was reasonable given the testing of GM crops posed dangers to the Scottish environment.

The Scottish case follows the acquittal at Norwich Crown Court last September of 28 Greenpeace protesters for taking similar action against a GM maize crop.

Reacting to the verdict outside the court, Mr Mackenzie, 28, vowed to continue campaigning against the testing of GM crops.

The four men, together with two other people also arrested on Boghall Farm, near Dalkeith in Midlothian, were earlier found not guilty of obstructing the police by refusing to leave the field when asked.

Mr Tolmie, 33, is also from Edinburgh and Mr Herbert, 28, is from Fife.