The action took place "in the interests of public safety" on the evening of Wednesday 6th August at Tibs Hall Farm, Kingsbury near Tamworth, Staffs. The genetically altered crop containing mutant DNA was uprooted from its experimental plot by people wearing protective clothing. The plants were then broken before being mixed together with 'normal' plants to invalidate the experiment's results.
In a statement issued this morning, local people said: "The mutant DNA in this crop could easily spread to the surrounding area either through cross pollination or through virus infection. No-one can guarantee that this will not happen."
The statement went onto say: "Our natural world is being tampered with for private profit and it is only a matter of time before something goes seriously wrong. We are not prepared to see the people and plants of Staffordshire - or anywhere else in the UK - used as guinea pigs in somebody else's experiment."
Despite Monsanto's claims that their field trials of genetically engineered crops are entirely risk-free, several studies have shown that the pollen of transgenic oilseed rape can cross-pollinate with traditional or wild species, spreading the genetic pollution.
Critics of Genetic Engineering say that new patent laws are giving the inventors of genetically engineered crops a dangerous level of control over our food supply. Concerns have also been raised by scientists that say genetic engineering - the process of combining genetic material from unrelated species - is inherently unsafe, and could lead to the production of new toxins in food crops or even spark off allergies in consumers. "Once the genetic cat is out of the bag," says one geneticist, "there is nothing you can do to put it back in. Genetic pollution is the one form of pollution that is almost guaranteed to increase exponentially over time as transgenic plants escape into the wild and interbreed."
2. In Germany the campaign against genetic engineering has already been taken to the fields where testing is carried out. In 1996 at least 12 fields were destroyed by protesters, and action by local people stopped the planting of several more. Four fields are currently being squatted full-time by German activists determined to stop them being planted with Monsanto's herbicide-resistant sugar beet.
3. On 16 July the European Parliament bowed to industry pressure and voted in favour of the Directive on the Legal Protection for Biotechnological Inventions, despite facing fierce opposition from a broad coalition of consumers, green parties, churches and other ethical groups. A Green Party press release said: "The patenting of plant and animal genes will reduce genetic diversity, harm the environment and allow a few companies to control the markets. Nature will be viewed as no more than the means of making money at the expense of us all."
4. A recent survey conducted by the London School of Economics showed that most consumers do not trust their governments to protect them from the possible dangers of genetically modified food. The survey, conducted across the European Union by George Gasket, showed most people want labelling on such products and are worried about the moral implications of genetically engineering animals.
5. Another activist group, calling themselves 'The Super Heroes Against Genetics', have a Web site which gives further information about their activities and also circulates information about genetic engineering which biotechnology companies have tried to suppress.