04/05/2006

Grave theft body identified

Remains found by officers in woodland near Hednesford yesterday have been confirmed as those of pensioner whose body was stolen by animal rights activists.

The body of Gladys Hammond was stolen from her grave by animal rights activists in 2004. She was the mother-in-law of one of the co-owners of Darley Oaks Farm, which bred guinea pigs for medical research.

The farm, in Newchurch, Staffordshire, had been the target of a six-year intimidation campaign by animal rights activists. It ceased breeding guinea pigs in January.

The body of Mrs Hammond was found on Tuesday, as the result of further information received about the grave robbery.

In a statement on Thursday, Staffordshire Police said: "Although further DNA tests have still to be carried out to confirm identity, detectives are satisfied that the body recovered is that of Gladys Hammond."

Four people are due to be sentenced next week, after pleading guilty to conspiring to blackmail the Hall family last month.

(KMcA)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

25 June 2009
UK Troops Get Boost To Personal Protection
British troops fighting in the frontline are to receive new body armour and helmets this autumn, it has been announced. Over 10,000 sets of the enhanced Mark 7 helmet and the Osprey Assault body armour have been ordered from companies across the UK, under initial contracts worth around £16 million.
16 February 2010
Legal Concerns Over Body Scanners
Full-body security scanners at major British airports could break the law, Equality and Human Rights Commission has warned. Calling for immediate action on policy, the Commission wrote to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis detailing its legal argument.
01 October 2015
New Consumer Rights Act For Digital Content Introduced
A new Consumer Rights Act has been introduced covering digital content, giving customers downloading music or buying ebooks new legal rights. The new Act has been created as shoppers increasingly spend money on digital content, with more than £2.8 billion spent on downloaded music, video and games in 2014, up 18% from the previous year.
24 March 2005
Ethiopian army branded ‘murderers and rapists’
The Ethiopian military has committed widespread murder, rape and torture against the Anuak population since December 2003, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released today.
31 May 2006
Pensioner's remains reburied
The body of a pensioner whose remains were dug up and stolen by animal activists have finally been reburied. The body of Gladys Hammond was finally returned to her original grave at St Peter's Church in Yoxall, Staffordshire, where she was originally buried on May 28, 1997.