A BEREAVED vet has described how a protest banner displayed outside his practice accusing it of supporting animal torture made him 'feel sick'. James Storrar looked out of his window at the Storrar Veterinary Practice on Boughton to see the banner displayed by three women, who were handing out leaflets. The timing caused further upset because his father, also a vet at the practice, had recently died. At Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Laura Tomlinson, 26, of Glen Park Drive, Preston, Katrina Somers, 39, of Worthing Street, Liverpool, and Kate Louise Jones, 26, of Oaklands Avenue, Liverpool, were found guilty of causing harassment, alarm or distress. The three women stood by the vets' entrance on October 24 last year holding a banner which read: 'This vets' supports animal torture.' They did not dispute any facts in the case but their solicitor, Timothy Greene, argued the Human Rights Act allowed them to express their views in this way. He said: 'These woman did not believe they were doing anything illegal - it is a matter of principle.' In court, Judge Timothy Gascoigne ruled the Act does not override the vets' right to 'go about their lawful business' without being harassed or caused distress. He found them guilty. Mr Storrar said: 'I was very upset and distressed. I had just lost my father a week before, so it was an emotional time for me. It made me feel quite sick. 'We had a similar encounter a couple of weeks before and were warned it might happen but it was still a nasty surprise.' Vanessa Moor, who was passing during the protest, said: 'I was quite upset - my daughter took her guinea pig there and Mr Storrar saved it.' Peter Spense, another vet at the practice, told the court the business is employed by DEFRA to check animal welfare at Little Creek Kennels in Saughall, which keeps animals in quarantine. Peter Frost, prosecuting, explained the defendants' belief that the kennels have links to animal experimentation, hence the protest. Mr Spense added: 'I don't mind people demonstrating but I spent years studying and working to help animals, so this banner was very upsetting.' Jones and Somers were sentenced to 75 hours' unpaid work and Tomlinson 40 hours. All were ordered to pay £50 compensation to Mr Storrar, Mr Spense and receptionist and veterinary nurse Samantha Critchley and are banned from an area around the vets. | 
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