A man has appeared in court accused of causing more than £70,000  damage at a Lincolnshire rabbit farm which was targeted by animal rights protesters.

Lewis Pogson, of Bush Road, East Peckham, Kent, faces charges of blackmail, burglary and criminal damage at Highgate Farm, Normanby-by-Spital, in January this year.

The 22-year-old also faces a further charge of interfering with a contractual relationship so as to harm an animal research establishment and four conspiracy charges.

A total of 129 rabbits were stolen and a large amount of damage was caused during a raid at the farm overnight on January 6 and 7.

The damage included vehicles being smashed up and Animal Liberation Front graffiti daubed on walls.

Highgate Farm has been targeted by animal rights groups because it supplies rabbits used in testing by the research company Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Pogson did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody until January 9 after an application for bail was refused.

For more court stories, see Wednesday's Echo