GM crops dumped in London

About 250 men, women and children targeted the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) demanding to meet a minister after travelling from all over the country. Instead, the department’s director of communications met them on the steps of the building in Smith Square, London, where he was barracked by the crowd.

The protesters, some of whom were dressed as bumble bees, grim reapers, DNA spirals, flowers and vegetables, brought their crops in wheelbarrows, trolleys and rucksacks before discarding them in sacks outside an entrance to the building. The demonstration came as the Scottish Executive announced plans to beef up the growth of GM crops, including better consultation.

The London protest involved anti-GM activists from Munlochy in the Black Isle, one of the most controversial sites for the field trials, as well as campaigners from other parts of Scotland, England and Wales. They handed in a 5,000-name petition, begun at Munlochy, and which has cross-party political support, including Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, in calling for an end to the trials.

Donnie MacLeod, an organic farmer from Ardersier who was jailed for 21 days for refusing to reveal others involved in an anti-GM demonstration, said later the event was a success.

"We asked DEFRA to consider carefully all the issues before even thinking about the commercialisation of GM crops. If commercialisation of the crops starts then you can say goodbye to organic farming.

"We got as good a reception as could have been expected but time will tell if they act on what people are saying."

Anna Doggart, 53, a market gardener from Shropshire, was in tears after she addressed DEFRA’s communication director, Lucian Hudson. She said: "I have worked for 26 years to grow organic crops now I’m seeing everything being undone.

"The government says they want to look after the environment but they also want GM. They have to make up their mind. People don’t want GM crops, so why should we have them."

Mr Hudson said later: "The government is keen to listen and wants to be open to what people have to say. I have listened throughout and taken detailed notes."

The protest marks the final year of GM farm scale trials and the government’s forthcoming public consultation into the commercial growing of GM crops. The final round of trials is set to be planted this summer and autumn to be harvested next spring.

The Executive’s proposals, which are to go out to consultation, follow the recent strengthening of a European directive on GM crops.

The new rules would make it compulsory for public views to be sought on applications to grow GM crops - so far, this has been voluntary. They would also make applications subject to more wide-ranging scientific scrutiny and there would be a requirement for longer-term monitoring, with any genetically-modified organism which was allowed to be used commercially having to be monitored for unexpected effects on the environment.

Meanwhile, a silent protest will be held outside Dingwall Sheriff Court tomorrow before the trial of eight activists charged with vandalising a GM crop trial at Munlochy.

Gordon McAlpine, a spokesman for the protesters, said: "As well as showing our support for those on trial, we wish to remind our elected politicians that the problem of GM has not gone away."