DAVID Hill's excellent letter (August 1) concerning the outrageous fine of £3,000 meted out to Philip Hamlyn for illegally moving cattle (report July 25) opens the way for me to express mu unqualified concern at the sheer injustice of the punitive nature of this penalty.

I am not a farmer, but have lived close to Eworthy for 20 years and have known Mr Hamlyn since my arrival, as he went out of his way to help me.

I know him to be honest, hardworking and indeed, knowledgeable about country and farming, but after all that has been his life and his responsibility since he was 16 years old.

He served for years on the Parish council, and was constructive in his counsel. Yet this is the man who has been fined £3,000 for being irresponsible and breaking the law by moving his animals during the latter months of the foot and mouth epidemic.

He has 70 to 80 cows which required feeding, and being dairy cattle, milking twice a day. Mr Hamlyn had grass available but access to it was required.

The milking parlour was in the centre of Eworthy hamlet. There were two ways from the parlour to the grass, one across a field which, if any trading standards, DEFRA or other official had really looked, would have been shown to be clay-based and wet — twice a day with 70 to 80 cows?

The other route was via the short road in front of Higher Town Farm. This was no longer a farm. To my recall there were no animals in the fields beside this track.

Mr Hamlyn could not get swift action to obtain licences to move his animals. There was virtually no danger of spreading foot and mouth. good husbandry directed that he had to move his cattle. His only reasonable route was via the road, probably no more than 200 yards, if that. For this he was fined £3,000.

He had sold his farm by the time the case was finally brought to a conclusion, and he is now unemployed.

I think that no credit whatsoever can reflect on those responsible for this case.

Lt Col Brian Blakeway

Dartmoor View

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