ONE night last summer, investment broker Wesley Omar broke into a farm in Leicestershire and stole a three-month-old piglet.

The brazen 23-year-old vegan - who wanted to give the pig which was being reared for pork a better life - then filmed himself playing Elvis songs to the hog in the getaway car, before taking it to an animal sanctuary.

21 An avid animal rights activist filmed himself driving away with a stolen pig in the footwell of his car as Elvis Presley played on the radio Credit: BPM Media

This week, Wesley was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and lost his job.

He said he wanted to save the pig from the slaughterhouse but his gung-ho approach is the latest in a long line of vegan activists wreaking havoc on Britain's farms.

The "vegan mafia" - those trying to stop people consuming animal products - regularly threaten and intimidate farmers and their families and vandalise their land.

Attacks on farmers and meat industry workers have been on the rise as veganism balloons in popularity - with a 360 per cent increase in British vegans in the last decade.

21 Wesley Omar was given community service for stealing a pig from a farm Credit: BPM Media

Death threats and violence

Rogue individuals - who often pledge allegiance to The Save Movement, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) -often disguise their abuse as peaceful protest.

Last month, a butchers' shop in Ashford, Kent was smashed up and covered in red pro-vegan slogans and the ALF logo - although the organisation didn't claim responsibility for the damage.

21 There are more vegans in the UK than ever

21 A family butchers' shop in Kent was targeted by a militant group

While there have been a number of peaceful pro-vegan protests at farms, anecdotal evidence from farmers points towards some of these quickly escalating into violence.

One abattoir worker told The Sun that he had his windscreen cracked while driving to work by balaclava-wearing vegans.

There have also been reported cases of activists standing in the meat aisles of supermarkets holding graphic images and making noises of animals being slaughtered.

21 There have been a number of pro-vegan protests at farms Credit: Andrew Lloyd

21 Vegan activists have been accused of 'hate-filled' tactics Credit: Corbis - Getty

Members of The Save Movement have even held candlelight vigils for dead animals in abattoirs.

Two years ago, activist came under fire after they stormed an East London Kosher abattoir, with members plastering messages about Nazism on the walls.

21 There have been protests at abbatoirs up and down the UK Credit: Andrew Lloyd

While some farmers say graffiti has been daubed on their buildings, others say they've received death threats that even target their children, and organisations say it is a "matter of time" before a farm worker is seriously injured or hurt.

The National Pig Association claims its members "cannot sleep" because Save Movement members have allegedly turned up at farms and slaughterhouses at night.

21 Signs such as this are left at farms by vegan protestors Credit: Andrew Lloyd

21 A vegan activist peers into the window of a farm Credit: Andrew Lloyd

It's not just restricted to the UK either - several French butchers and fishmongers had their shops smashed up and their storefronts daubed with anti-meat slogans and splattered with fake blood in the dead of night by vegan activists.

These incidents were so widespread, a group even wrote to the country's interior minister recently asking for help.

21 French butchers' shops have been targeted by vegans in recent months Credit: Facebook

Drug addict turned vegan vigilante

21 Joey Carbstrong is a prominent vegan activist Credit: Refer to Caption

One of the most prominent figures on the scene is Joey Carbstrong, a 32-year-old Australian expat living in the UK.

Carbstrong is an independent activist who works with The Save Movement and another group, Anonymous for the Voiceless, who specialise in 'street activism' - showing people videos and photos of farmed animals to educate people about veganism.

21 Joey does a lot of undercover filming at slaughterhouses and farms

A former convict with a colourful past that includes drug addiction, he is now teetotal and became vegan four years ago.

"I realised I didn't want to be hypocritical, caring about pets such as cats and dogs and not the animals ending up on my plate who didn't want to be eaten," he tells Sun Online.

"I want to get animals out of slaughterhouses and farms."

21 Joey often takes to the streets to talk to people about veganism

Comparisons with rape and Hitler

The outspoken activist clashed with presenter Jeremy Vine on his show in February after spotting a ham and cheese sandwich on his desk.

He told Vine the cheese came from “a mother who had her children taken from her, and had hands shoved in her anus and was artificially inseminated with bull semen", adding "this is probably why vegans would say a dairy farmer is akin to a rapist”.

21 Carbstrong has received media attention for his comments on farming - something he has said is akin to 'rape'

Carbstrong also appeared on This Morning alongside two farmers who had received threats from vegans, saying dairy farming was akin to sexual violation.

When asked by Sun Online if he would stand by his comments, he said: Absolutely.

"The things I've said, such as drawing attention to the fact that slaughterhouses use gas chambers or that cows are artificially inseminated against their will are completely true.

"The practices used in farming are immoral and unjust and I work to expose that."

21 He appeared on This Morning, arguing with two farmers live on air Credit: Rex Features

Two years ago, he was criticised for saying that dairy farmers were "worse than Nazi Germany" and that Hitler "lived in the hearts and minds of every dairy farmer", however, this is something he now regrets.

"I was angry at the time," he says. "These were heavy things to say."

'I'm scared of vegans - one threatened to shoot me'

Welsh dairy farmer Luke Winton went viral on Twitter last month after saying he had been threatened by another bunch of "verbally abusive vegans".

21 Luke posted a viral Tweet standing up to the abuse he's received

"I've had a number of threats on social media, and I know other farmers who have experienced the same thing," Luke tells Sun Online.

"It can be really scary. Recently, I had somebody threaten to come to the farm and shoot me - and I've been called a rapist too.

21 Vegan activists often go to farms and slaughterhouses to document animals' living conditions Credit: Andrew Lloyd

"As a young person who has only been working in the industry a short time, I am terrified - and it seems the law isn't doing anything to help us.

"I'm scared of vegans coming to the farm - and even stealing animals.

21 Luke says his farm is humane, and fears livestock might be stolen

"They might think they're saving an animal, but the truth is they might not know how to look after a cow properly, how to feed it or what injections it needs," says Luke.

With the growing popularity of veganism, Luke says things have only been escalating - and he is constantly worried that somebody will come to his farm and attack him.

"There's people trying to drive me out of my job. Some days, it makes you wonder why you do this - but I'm trying not to let them stop me working."

21 Luke is concerned about his future in farming due to the threats

21 Carbstrong says it's not the farmers who have had threats - he gets regular scary messages

21 Wesley, posing outside court with other vegan activists, has been called 'noble' by his peers Credit: BPM Media

What activists such as Carbstrong would like to see is a move to a completely plant-based diet for everybody - something that would change the nature of farming and put many out of business.

A spokesperson for The Vegan Society say they promote campaigns to help farmers transition to plant-based agriculture.

"Vegans rely on farmers for food and we want to work with farmers to see an end to animal agriculture as a whole," they say.

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However, farmers such as Luke Wilton remain concerned about their futures as more people adopt the diet.

"I see the vegans' points, I really do," he says. "But there is currently consumer demand for meat, eggs and dairy and we are providing the country with food.

"It's getting to the point now where I am getting used to the abuse. But something clearly needs to change."