An animal rights protester accused of taking part in a "reconnaissance raid" at a Lincolnshire rabbit farm has denied she intended to cause damage there in the future.

Student Victoria Waterhouse-Taylor admitted travelling to Highgate Farm, near Normanby-by Spital, north of Lincoln, with three other activists during the night of October 13 last year.

Lincoln Crown Court has heard the farmer, who was granted anonymity, describe how his Lamborghini sports car was damaged and more than 100 rabbits released during a previous attack on his property.

But giving evidence Waterhouse-Taylor (18) insisted during her visit there she had no intention of "intimidating" the farmer – who bred the animals for research – by deliberately letting him know of their presence on the property.

It is alleged the four activists had links to the campaign group SHAC – Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty – which listed Highgate Farm on its website as a potential target for "direct action".

Student Waterhouse-Taylor, who was living in Eva Street, Rusholme, Manchester, while studying politics and media at City College, denies conspiracy to interfere with a contractual relationship,

Her former boyfriend, Dean Cain (27), of King Street, Ulverston, Cumbria, has admitted the same charge, together with Luke Steele (18), of Woodside View, Leeds and a 17-year-old boy from Urmston, Manchester, who cannot be named.

Waterhouse-Taylor denied a prosecution suggestion that the group were engaged in a "reconnaissance raid" on the farm in preparation to cause future damage.

She told the jury: "We wore dark clothing, we didn't have any intention of making our presence known, we did not want the farmer to know we there.

"Our intention was to have a look around the farm, not to disturb him, so we decided to wait until hopefully he was asleep."

The trial continues.

For the full story see Thursday's Lincolnshire Echo.