Animal rights protester Cynthia O'Neill has slammed a court verdict against her as "a gross miscarriage of justice".

The 60-year-old campaigner, who has vowed to close down the cat breeding business at Hillgrove Farm, Minster Lovell, was found guilty by Witney magistrates of harrassing the owner Chris Brown. But yesterday she said she would appeal against the verdict and condemned the proceedings as a waste of public money.

She said: "We will make every effort, even to the European Court, to rid my character of the slur and see justice done for the sake of the cause."

Mrs O'Neill, of Church Meadow, Milton-under-Wychwood, has been ordered not to contact Mr Brown or his family and not to go within one mile of Hillgrove Farm.

She was prosecuted under the new Protection from Harrassment Act, brought in last year to crack down on "stalkers," and fined £50 with £75 costs. A megaphone she used in demonstrations was also confiscated.

Mrs O'Neill, who is on income support, told the court she would go to prison rather than pay the fine - but fellow campaigners have chipped in to meet the bill.

She added: "This gross miscarriage of justice to silence me from my right to protest shows to all that we are winning," she added.

"To accuse me of harrassment on the evidence of using expressions like cat killer, freemason, cat torturer and evil is odd.

"Mr Brown produced not one witness or member of staff to prove the police case against me."

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