Thursday, July 29, 1999 Published at 16:28 GMT 17:28 UK
GM crop attack hits 'vital research'
Farmer Robert Hambridge: "They have spoiled a useful trial"
Protesters have targeted a genetically-modified (GM) crop site in Norfolk - the second attack this week.
The plant had been modified to be herbicide-tolerant, and was being grown to assess its environmental impact.
The research is being carried out by independent scientists from the Institute of Arable Crops Research.
"It wasn't set up for commercial purposes - it was for the environment, to see the effect of GM crops," he said.
Mr Hambridge said pollen from flowering sugar-beet plants would not have been a problem, as it flowers bi-annually, and is not due to flower this year.
Environmental protesters have expressed concern that GM pollen will spread to nearby crops and contaminate them.
Mr Hambridge also expressed concern that addresses of farms taking part in the trials are available on the Internet, but said they would be continuing.
Previous crop damage
There are about 50 small-scale trials taking place around East Anglia, and the scientist says some of them have suffered similar attacks.
Earlier this week, 28 Greenpeace demonstrators were charged after GM maize was damaged at Lyng, also in Norfolk.
But Greenpeace chief Lord Melchett, who was among those arrested, said he did not regret being arrested and held in custody over his protest. He also said the pressure group had nothing to do with the crops destroyed on Wednesday.
The second attack highlights scientists' concerns that the remaining trial sites will be targeted by protesters, threatening the outcome of the test results. Security at four of the original test sites was considerably increased earlier in this week.
So far the data has not been affected, and Dr Les Firbank, of the Institute for Terrestrial Ecology, in Cumbria, told BBC News Online that data from the damaged sites could still be collected.
His main concern was for the farmers, who he said had suffered "intimidation from protesters, which is totally unacceptable".