A WESTCOUNTRY farmer whose wild boar business survived an attack by animal rights extremists today resumes his legal battle with the Government to save his livelihood.

Activists – believed to be the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) – raided the farm of Al Dedames in December 2005, cutting fences and freeing dozens of boar.

The attack was labelled as the start of National Wild Boar Wars and since then several other wild boar farms across the country have been attacked and animals released.

However, Mr Dedames, whose Woodland Wild Boar Farm is at West Anstey, South Molton, North Devon, has spent the past four years fighting on a different front, this time against planning officials.

The future of his business and the fate of his wild boar stock – which rests on whether Mr Dedames is allowed to live on his land – could be decided in the High Court later today.

"If I lose my four-year fight against the Secretary of State on Monday, I will lose my livelihood, livestock, land, and everything I have worked for over the past decade, without further consultation or appeal," Mr Dedames said.

"It sickens me that I was the victim of an illegal attack on my property and business, and now the Government is going to put the final nail in my coffin and also bring about the slaughter of my healthy wild boars."

The case centres on enforcement action taken by North Devon District Council which ordered that Mr Dedames remove vehicles, caravans, structures and hardstanding from the land.

Although the Government inspector accepted Mr Dedames' boar- rearing and shiitake mushroom- growing enterprises at the farm had planning permission to be used for agricultural purposes, he backed the council's enforcement notice.

Mr Dedames subsequently launched a legal challenge to that decision against the Department for Communities and Local Government. He told the court last October that he had now removed a bus and a coach he used to keep food in for the animals, and had now taken to buying food in smaller quantities and keeping it in his car.

But he said the shipping container housed a water treatment works to make water from a bore hole drinkable for the boars.

Mr Dedames said he and his family had moved into three joined-up caravans on the site after the attacks to protect the animals.

The case was adjourned for Mr Dedames to seek further legal advice and for the court to obtain more information from the district council. It resumes before judge Sir George Newman this morning.

In the meantime, Mr Dedames has managed to restock, while two favoured adults have recently farrowed again and have several young. Mr Dedames said if he loses the legal case he will be forced to cull his remaining stock and be left homeless.

"Twelve years ago I was told to diversify by the Government," Mr Dedames added. "I did that with a wild boar enterprise, crayfish and shiitake mushrooms.

"I ran a very successful business and supplied many local and national outlets that have strong demand for this fantastic British-grown exclusive meat.

"Then at Christmas in 2005 the ALF decided to attack my farm and release my boar into the wild. Since then my local authority, and now national Government offices, have done nothing but hinder me, my business and my life to the extent that they will now possibly destroy it completely.

"However, I do feel that finally we have reached a stage where I will get a very fair hearing. Although I am extremely upset by the way my Government has acted in my case so far."

Many of the 100 animals released by activists from the farm are still roaming the Exmoor countryside.

Although more than half are estimated to have died – from either road traffic kills or being shot by farmers and hunters – Mr Dedames believes there could be a population of more than 200 living in the wild.