The no-nonsense farmer who took matters into his own hands and sprayed travellers with putrid-smelling slurry after they squatted on his land says he was driven to breaking point – after police told him there was nothing they could do.
Fearless dairy farmer Pierre Richard became an unlikely internet star after using reeking liquid manure to cover the gypsies who had stormed his family farm in northeastern France.
The astonishing footage, now seen by millions, shows he and another farmer spraying fertilizer towards the unwanted intruders – who, in turn, desperately give chase.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Mr Richard, 37, revealed how he felt compelled to act after police waved away his desperate pleas for help.
Speaking at his farm near the village of Le Syndicat in the Vosges region of France, the fifth-generation farmer said: ‘I’d simply had enough.
‘They want us to simply shut our mouths and let them squat on our land. But this year I refused.
‘Every year hundreds of gypsies come into our valley and take over our land. This year I decided I had to do something.’
Footage of Mr Richard’s fertiliser-led fightback on July 8 was uploaded to social media with the caption: ‘How to get rid of squatters on your property … farmer style’.
Fearless farmer: Pierre Richard became an unlikely internet star after he sprayed gypsies who had stormed onto his family farm in northeastern France with liquid manure
Merde bath: The astonishing footage, now seen by millions, shows he and another farmer spraying fertilizer towards the unwanted intruders – who in turn desperately give chase
Furious travellers gave chase, with one man clinging to the side of a tractor cab, shaking his fist as the putrid slurry sprayed around him
Scores of white caravans and cars can be seen parked up on the outskirts of the land
The viral video revealed how the vehicles had commandeered part of his six-hectare field
The viral video revealed how scores of white caravans and cars had commandeered part of his six-hectare field – including a red Ferrari.
Furious travellers gave chase, with one man clinging to the side of a tractor cab, shaking his fist as the putrid slurry sprayed around him.
Mr Richard, who took over the farm from his father nine years ago, claimed the travellers in 250 caravans – said to be on their way to a gypsy religious festival – had ignored an empty traveller site nearby to instead illegally occupy his farm.
He said: ‘They preferred to stay here on my land. It’s a beautiful place, in the mountains, next to a river, and with fresh green grass.
‘They arrived at about 8pm on a Sunday night. When I heard they were there I went down there, but it was too late.
‘They had broken through the barriers and set up camp, hundreds of them.
‘The following day I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do.
‘So, on the Tuesday we went out with the tractors and sprayed the rest of the prairie with slurry to make sure no more of them would come.
‘As you can see from the footage, we stayed a minimum of 10 metres from the caravans.
‘It was the gypsies who chased us and attacked us in our cabs. It was really dangerous what they did.
Fighting dirty: Pierre Richard said he was just ‘protecting’ his land from occupation
‘Fortunately our tractors and strong and kept them out. But they broke one of my wing mirrors.’
Despite new laws in France which demand all communities with a population above 5,000 provide a traveller site, the squatters set up home on Mr Richard’s field, used to grow hay for his 50 dairy cows.
Instead of making use basic council facilities at an approved site nearby, the squatters enjoyed uninterrupted views over the picturesque Vosges mountain range.
Mr Richard, whose farm was previously targeted by travellers in 2023, denied being a ‘hero’.
He said: ‘I was just protecting my land from an even bigger occupation. Every year there are more and more of them. This year one even came with a Ferrari.
‘If we had not sprayed the field, I don’t know how many more caravans would have turned up.
‘Not only do they ruin the grass, they ruin the land and the river.
‘Their cars and caravans flatten the earth and make it harder for the grass to grow.
‘And they go to the toilet everywhere – everywhere apart from in their caravans. It’s disgusting. The river is an important fresh-water resource, but they leave it polluted with human waste.
‘They open a water hydrant and leave it running day and night – using hundreds of litres of water, even if there is a drought.
‘My family have been farming this land for five generations and we are not going to stop.’
The convoy of travellers were said to be making their way north to the annual Grostenquin gypsy religious festival.
The week-long ‘Life and Light’ religious gathering attracts 30,000 Roma travellers from across France.
But the festival, roughly equivalent to Britain’s Appleby Horse Fair, is opposed by local residents who complain about the disruption, environmental pollution and nuisance it causes.
Dairy farmer Dominic Frenot, 52, told Mail Online: ‘Everyone in this area is sick to death of the gypsies coming en masse and taking over our land.
‘I have real admiration for Pierre for standing up to them. He was very courageous.
‘They took over one of my prairies a couple of years ago and caused a lot of damage.
One farmer said residents are ‘sick to death of the gypsies coming en masse and taking over our land’
The convoy of travellers were said to be making their way north to the annual Grostenquin gypsy religious festival
‘I made a formal complaint, and it went to court months later. The gypsies were fined 1,000 uuros. But I was ordered to instruct a bailiff myself to retrieve the money. I never saw a penny.’
Another farmer Xavier Duc, 46, added: ‘The gypsies are a real nuisance. They took over one of my prairies and completely ruined it.
‘Not only do they destroy the grass that is growing they also ruin the land with their heavy vehicles so that it takes years for the grass to grown properly again.
‘I’d say once they take over a prairie it causes us 1000 euros in damages per hectare.
‘I’m right behind Pierre. I’m pleased someone has had the guts to stand up to them for once.’
Mayor of Syndicat, Pascal Claude, also shared his frustration.
He said: ‘They had no right to set up camp there, but they forced the barrier at the entrance of the land. The farmers and I are totally against this.
‘Not only did they set up camp on a protected natural land, it is also a protected water source.’
The travellers who invaded Mr Richard’s farm – named in French local media as the Parti d’Alsace – claimed that the nearby traveller site did not have sufficient capacity for their 250-caravan convoy.
There have been similar reports of travellers setting up camps illegally on football pitches and agricultural land across France this summer.
Mr Richard said he feared ‘reprisals’ from the travellers after his slurry stunt.
‘You never know when they will come back. You don’t know what they might do. We have no idea who they are or what they have done in the past.’
He added: ‘I’ve got nothing against travellers. We just want this to stop. So that we can do our jobs and feed the people.
The travellers who invaded Mr Richard’s farm – named in French local media as the Parti d’Alsace – claimed that the nearby traveller site did not have sufficient capacity for their 250-caravan convoy
The travellers finally left the site in mid-July after an eviction order was granted by a court
Despite new laws in France which demand all communities with a population above 5,000 provide a traveller site, the squatters set up home on Mr Richard’s field used for his dairy cows
‘Everyone has the right in live with dignity, but not at other people’s expense.’
The travellers finally left the site in mid-July after an eviction order was granted by a court in nearby Epinal.
Their lawyer told the court that the group had asked the local authorities to provide a site for them this summer, but their demand had been ignored.
Maitre Laure Iognat-Prat said: ‘The trip was planned; they had contacted the Vosges [department authorities] at the beginning of the year to reserve a site. [But] They never received a response.’
