GOAT KILLED WHILE POLICE DISTRACT OWNER
Mrs Elizabeth Walls, proud owner of Misty, a 1 year old goat, was last night
distracted by police, while a vet and Maff official broke into her stable
and killed the frightened animal - without any written or verbal permission
whatsoever from Mrs Walls.

Mrs Walls, who also owns a pony, 2 dogs and a cat, kept Misty in a stable at
the bottom of her garden in Mouswald, Dumfriesshire. Misty used to regularly
accompany the family and the dogs on walks in the surrounding countryside.

Vets and Maff officials have been attempting for several days to convince
Mrs Walls that Misty posed a risk to health, on the grounds that Mrs Walls'
back garden borders a farm which has recently had all its cattle destroyed.
Mrs Walls today voiced her suspicion that the cattle on the neighbouring
farm possibly didn't have Foot and Mouth anyway, and certainly had all the
appearances of being perfectly healthy.

At around 9pm on the evening of Thursday 5th April, a vet came to the door
and stated bluntly, "I'm here to dispose of the goat. If you don't agree I'll get the police."

Mrs Walls asked him if he had any proof that Misty had Foot and Mouth and he
replied that he did not. She asked him if he would take blood tests of
Misty. He would not. He was even asked if he could prove that the
neighbouring farm had Foot and Mouth. He could not.

Again he stated, "If you don't let me dispose of the goat, I'm going to get
the police to arrest you".

Mrs Walls replied, "Well, I'm not prepared to give you permission."

The vet left and almost immediately the police, who must have been lingering
nearby, appeared on her doorstep. There was a man and a woman and the
policewoman said to Mrs Walls, "I don't want to arrest you."

However, it was claimed that the Animal Health Act 1981 gave them authority
to arrest Mrs Walls if she attempted to prevent the slaughter.

While the police were speaking to Mrs Walls in the kitchen, the vet was
nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly Mrs Walls was alerted by screaming from her daughter Kristine who
was returning home from work.

 "Misty's dead! Misty's dead!"

As Mrs Walls tried to rush out, one of the police officers attempted to stop
her saying, absurdly, "You can't go out of the house, it's an infected
 area!"

"Don't be ridiculous" replied Mrs Walls. The officer shot back, "Well, why
do you think we're all dressed up in this plastic clothing."

However, she did get outside, only to find a strange man standing around in
the dark.

"Who are you?" she asked, and he promptly turned his back on her.

"Excuse me, don't turn your back on me. Who are you?"

"I'm only the driver."

It later transpired that he was the Maff official. He had also tried to stop
Kristine at the end of the driveway when she was coming home, and had
followed her down the road saying, "Your mother's going to be arrested, and
the police will soon sort you out."

While the police had been keeping Mrs Walls speaking in the kitchen, the vet
and the Maff official had sneaked round the back, broke into the padlocked
stable, and killed Misty!

They did this without obtaining any written or verbal permission whatsoever
from Mrs Walls.

A horrified Kristine was told by the policewoman, "Grow up. This is the real
world, not Disney World."

END