A Penrith resident and former town councillor who faced legal action linked to a local environmental campaigning has seen the case against him discontinued after more than three years.
Jeff Thomson, founder of the resident-led Facebook campaign Fresh Air for Penrith, had been defending a defamation claim brought by Omega Proteins Ltd and its parent company, Leo Group Ltd, following posts made on the campaign page.
The campaign was established to share information about the long-running odour issue known to many as the "Penrith pong". Many residents have linked the smell to the Omega Proteins rendering plant on the edge of Penrith, although the company has previously stated there are "various sources" of the odour locally.
According to the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition, Mr Thomson received his first legal letter in February 2023 and has since faced the prospect of defending the case in the High Court.
On 8 June 2026, Omega Proteins Ltd and Leo Group Ltd issued a Notice of Discontinuance, bringing the legal action to an end following a settlement between the parties.
Representatives for Mr Thomson said the companies have agreed to pay his legal costs. However, Leo Group stated that "it is important to correct the record that no costs have been paid to date."
Mr Thomson is not subject to any confidentiality or non-disparagement agreement as part of the settlement and remains free to discuss his experiences publicly.
Speaking following the discontinuance, Mr Thomson said:
"After putting me through years of sheer hell, with the prospect of facing significant defence legal costs and a High Court ruling against me, the company has backed down. This basically shows they had no case against me and seem to have brought the action simply to try and 'shut me up' and halt the campaign. For the benefit of my neighbours and wider community, I am relieved that these tactics have failed."
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition welcomed the outcome but argued the case highlights the need for stronger legal protections against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which critics say can be used to discourage public interest campaigning and reporting.
A spokesperson for the coalition said:
"We welcome this news but it is more than three years too late. In fact, Jeff should never have been put in this position in the first place. Campaigns, such as Fresh Air for Penrith, play an invaluable and often overlooked role in the public interest information ecosystem, ensuring local issues can break through and be addressed and give communities a voice."
The organisation's comments come amid renewed efforts to introduce wider anti-SLAPP legislation, with private members' bills recently announced in both the House of Lords and House of Commons.
Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours also commented on the outcome, saying:
"Having the prospect of a High Court case hanging over him for the past three years has caused untold grief to Jeff and his family. He was being sued for supporting his community in Castletown, in Penrith, and sharing public interest information with the wider community."
Leo Group Ltd rejected suggestions that the claim was improperly brought and defended its decision to pursue legal action.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said:
"The claim was commenced only after obtaining detailed advice from leading specialist defamation and libel barristers, who carefully assessed both the evidence and the legal merits and advised that there were proper grounds to proceed."
The company described the action as "a measured and proportionate response to specific statements and actions of Mr Thomson identified as actionable, not a broad attempt to restrict public discussion."
Leo Group said it had chosen to discontinue the case "in order to bring an end to what had become a lengthy and resource-intensive dispute."
The spokesperson added:
"This decision should not be interpreted as any reflection on the underlying merits of the claim."
The company also said it would continue to keep matters relating to Mr Thomson's conduct and claims "under careful review" and would "not hesitate to take appropriate steps where necessary to protect its position" in the future.
Leo Group further stated that all actions were taken in accordance with the Civil Procedure Rules of England and Wales and that the Solicitors Regulation Authority had been notified before proceedings commenced.
The discontinuance brings an end to a legal dispute that has attracted attention both locally and nationally, while debate continues over the balance between protecting reputations and safeguarding public interest campaigning.
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