Heather Mills backs protest outside Yorkshire farm after cows punched and kicked

The former model and businesswoman, who was previously married to Paul McCartney, back the Animal Justice Project’s (AJP) protest outside Lowfields Farm in Northallerton on Saturday (Apr 5).

The protest took place in the wake of Arla suspending a farmer after an AJP investigation found cows on the farm had been punched and kicked.

More than 50 campaigners protested outside the farm on Saturday afternoon over the act of separating calves from their mothers, which is a common practice in many dairy farms.

Heather Mills said: “The footage from Lowfields Farm is truly heartbreaking. No mother should have her baby taken away, and no gentle creature should endure such cruelty.

“It’s devastating to know this suffering happens every day, hidden behind the dairy industry’s polished image. We have the power to choose kindness, and I stand with Animal Justice Project today in calling for a future where no animal has to suffer for their milk.”

In the video released by AJP last month, cows were seen being violently kicked, punched and struck, while calves were slapped after being separated from their mothers on Lowfields Farm, Northallerton, which supplies milk to Arla - the largest producer of dairy products in Scandinavia and the UK.

As a result of the undercover investigation, Arla has suspended the farmer, calling the abuse towards the animals captured as "completely unacceptable".

A spokesperson for Arla stated: "Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach.

"We take any matters relating to this extremely seriously. The actions that are shown in this footage are completely unacceptable and do not meet the high standards that we expect from our farmers.

"The individuals in the video are no longer employed at the farm, however, Arla has taken the decision to suspend the farmer whilst we investigate this further. While the investigation is still ongoing, we have already put a number of measures in place alongside independent auditors and external standards organisations."

Lowfields Farm houses 2,400 cows and, according to staff, produce 273,000 litres of milk per week.

Arla Foods UK, the UK's largest milk producer, reported £1.2 billion in revenue in the first half of 2024 and plans to invest £300 million in UK farms.