A FARMER has vowed to continue growing genetically modified (GM) crops despite several attacks on his land by protestors.

John Richardson has remained defiant in the face of a series of attacks on GM crops at his farm in Hutton Magna, near Barnard Castle, County Durham.

The latest attack, which occurred on July 15, saw activists damage part of a crop of rape seed oil, which he has been testing on behalf of Aventis Crop Science UK for the past two years.

He has also been listed as one of three sites in the region to take part in the Government's Autumn GM crop trials, with sowing expected to take place between August 20 through to mid-September.

The other two sites in the region are also in County Durham, at Oakenshaw, near Willington, and Wycliffe, near Barnard Castle.

Despite continuing the tests, which Mr Richardson said the protestors campaigned for in the first place, he has appealed for calm.

He said: "I just want to be able to carry out the trials in peace, because we have to test GM foods as far as possible and I am fully behind that.

"I cannot watch my crops 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So they will get in and attack them if they really want to.

"The sad thing is that the majority of the protestors don't feel strongly about it, they just want to have a bit of fun and wreck some crops."