On February 22nd 2001, five of J.Sainsbury's regional distribution depots, which supply chilled and frozen products to the supermarkets, were blockaded. The action was in opposition to Sainsbury's use of meat, poultry and dairy products from animals fed on Genetically Modified amimal feed. Eleven of the participants at the Elstree Depot in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, were arrested and charged with Aggravated Trespass (Section 68) and Obstruction (Section 137) offences. There were also arrests at other depots.

The Borehamwood action, which lasted ten hours altogether, included lock-ons to gates and immobilising five articulated lorries by lock-ons and climbing on top of the wagons.

During the action the police summonned the Fire Brigade, who instead of immediately following police instructions to help remove the protestors, spoke to them and agreed not to use their cutting or lifting gear to assist the police.

The case against the 'Elstree Eleven' lasted five days at Dacorum Magistrates Court, Hemel Hempstead. All pleaded not guilty. The defence produced evidence throwing doubt on the lawfulness of products derived from GM maize and soya, and insisted that the prosecution prove that the GM-fed animal products met food safety and labelling requirements. Sainsbury's, possibly due to embarassment over this issue, failed to provide a witness to attest to this.

There were other weaknesses in the prosecution case which related to ownership of the land and the use of the Criminal Trespass legislation.

On Friday September 28th, the District Judge found all defendants not guilty. He made clear his annoyance that the prosecution had been so abysmal, and the defence so well conducted, that he had not been able to convict the protestors. He then sought to have the protestors 'bound over' to be of good behaviour for a period, despite the verdict! (This is possible under legislation from 1361 which allows persons not convicted of any offence to be bound over; refusing to be bound over would result in up to six months in jail) But he withdrew this proposal when the defence stated that at least some of the eleven would refuse a bind-over and accept the prison alternative.

Following the February 22nd action, Sainsbury's have phased-out GM-fed poultry, but still sell GM derived meat and dairy products.

The 'Elstree Eleven' have written to the Fire Brigades Union to thank their members in the Hertfordshire Fire Service who refused to assist the police to end the action.