Heather Mills-Backed Protest Hits Controversial Northallerton Farm Today

Over fifty animal rights campaigners from as far away as South Wales and Kent have gathered outside Lowfields Farm in Northallerton today following an explosive undercover investigation by Animal Justice Project (AJP). Shocking footage captures workers kicking and striking cows, as well as separating newborn calves from their mothers—a routine but hidden aspect of dairy farming.

The footage has sparked national outrage, leading Arla to suspend the farm’s milk contract and launch its own investigation. The campaign has received high-profile backing from Heather Mills, who described the scenes as “truly heartbreaking.”

Heather Mills comments: “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.”

AJP’s Director, Claire Palmer, is describing today’s protest as being an ‘opportunity to take a stand against industrial dairy farming’.

Public Outrage and National Media Attention
The investigation has been covered extensively by Daily Mirror, Mail Online, Daily Express, Independent, and BBC News. Footage reveals extreme cruelty, including cows being kicked, punched, and struck with pipes.

Social media response has been overwhelming:

– Northern Echo post: 32,000+ angry and sad reactions, 10,000+ comments, 4,000+ shares
– Yorkshire Live post: 42,000+ angry and sad reactions, 12,000+ comments, nearly 6,000 shares

Comments from social media users reflect the widespread condemnation:

– Lizzie Fuller: “The horrific abusers need to be in prison!”
– Mary Gavigan: “Those poor animals! I’m distressed and disgusted.”
– Anne Suthers: “Most cows are docile creatures if treated well—shame on your people.”

The campaign’s hashtag #ARLArming has been used over 4,500 times, with 89% of interactions condemning the farm’s actions. Meanwhile, AJP’s petition urging Starbucks to make oat milk the default option has gained over 10,000 signatures.

Protest to Demand Transparency and Justice
A recent YouGov poll highlights widespread public misconceptions about dairy farming:

– 52% did not know that dairy cows are impregnated annually to produce milk.
– 83% were unaware that calves are separated from their mothers within 24 hours of birth.
– 82% did not know that dairy cows are slaughtered at 5–7 years old, despite a natural lifespan of 20–30 years.

A 2025 report by The Animal Law Foundation, a legal research charity and lawyer collective, has found that “pervasive” misinformation about the food system affects public understanding of meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products. The findings indicate that the dominant, pastoral image of animal farming in marketing does not represent reality. In fact, most farmed animals—around 85% in the UK—are raised on factory farms. The cows at Lowfields Farm are confined indoors year-round in a ‘zero-grazing’ system.

Claire Palmer, Director of Animal Justice Project, says: “Around fifty campaigners are here today, deeply concerned not just about the suffering of cows and calves at Lowfields Farm, but about the dairy industry as a whole. We’re standing up for animal rights, the planet, and public health. Leaflets have been distributed in Brompton to help local residents understand that dairy is far from harmless. The British public is being systematically misled about where their food comes from—it’s not their fault, but it’s time they saw the reality behind the adverts.”

The protest aims to raise awareness and ‘demand accountability from dairy producers who continue to obscure the realities of industrial farming’.