Packham vows to carry on campaigning despite arson attack
ENVIRONMENTALIST Chris Packham said he will “carry on” his activism despite being targeted by arsonists who set fire to a car and burned down the gate to his property.
The eco campaigner and TV presenter caught the masked attackers on CCTV as they drove a vehicle up to the gate of his Hampshire home before setting it alight - causing thousands of pounds in damage.
In a video posted to his Twitter page, the 60-year-old anti-hunting advocate speculated he may have been the target of internet trolls, hunters, or members of organisations which opposed his activism.
He told his followers this “vicious, cowardly act of vandalism” was the latest in a campaign of harassment over a number of years.
He said finding dead animals tied to his gate had become a “normal occurrence” but the activity had escalated to the point he now feared for his life and the safety of his family.
He said: “On Thursday night, Friday morning at 12.30am, two hooded and masked men drove a vehicle right up to my gate and set it on fire.
“The car exploded and was rapidly and efficiently dealt with by Hampshire Fire and Rescue, and the police were in attendance and, as ever, they did a fantastic job but not before it did extensive damage to my property.
“I wonder what happens next. Do they burn the house down, do they beat up my step-daughter, do they cut the break lines on my partner’s car, or do they come for me directly?
“I will, of course, just carry on because I have no choice.”