Shropshire firms blockaded by farmers in milk row

Hundreds of farmers blockaded dairy giants Muller and Robert Wiseman Dairy in Market Drayton overnight as the row over milk prices continued.

Up to 300 dairy farmers, industry workers and vets parked tractors outside Muller on the A53 and the entrance to the Tern Valley Business Park, where Robert Wiseman is based, from 7.30pm yesterday until about 2am today.

• Click on the image to the right for more photos

And they warned they are planning 24-hour protests if prices paid for milk are not changed.

Campaigners from Farmers For Action (FFA) said they wanted to keep pressure on milk bosses to reverse a 2p drop in the price they pay for milk that was introduced in May.

Protests earlier in the year led to Robert Wiseman, owned by Muller, scrapping another drop that was due to come into force at the beginning of this month.

Paul Rowbottom, FFA co-ordinator, said: "We had a break for the Olympics and have been protesting elsewhere. We wanted to see if they were going to put their prices up.

"They said they wouldn't scrap the August drop and when we shut them down they did. This is just a reminder that we are still here and if they don't put the price up we will do a 24-hour protest."

John Slater, 67, has run his 430-acre farm at nearby Calverhall for 50 years and works with his son, Jonathan, 39, and grandson.

He said: "It has got to make a difference or we won't be here. There is nobody that can work for less than nothing, which is what we are doing."

A spokesman for Muller said: "Milk prices are dep-ressed throughout Europe and against this backdrop we continue to work hard to ensure we can maximise the milk price we can pay. We understand dairy farmers' frustration and have no issue with peaceful protests.

By contrast action which blocks roads is unlawful and serves no purpose but places an extra burden on staff."

Leader of FFA, David Handley, told the crowd that the firm was 'just putting up with a small amount of in-convenience that we've had to put up with for months'.

By Dani Wozencroft