Two farmers prosecuted for neglecting animals

A farmer in Yorkshire has been jailed for 16 weeks after 350 dead and dying animals were discovered at his farm, whilst another farmer in Wales has had his animals seized after they were found to be neglected and underfed.

James Linsley, who was renting Woodside Farm in West Layton, was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to 53 sheep, four cows, ten horses and a dog. A total of 350 animals were found in a terrible condition on the farm, with some knee-deep in excrement and others deprived of proper food. RSPCA Chief Inspector Mark Gent described it as the worse case he had ever seen: ‘It was horrendous, the RSPCA were there for a week. There were dead and dying animals all over the place, some of this suffering had been going on for months.’

In a separate incident in Pembrokeshire, an unnamed farmer has had four young cattle and two pigs seized by inspectors from the local authority under the Animal Welfare Act. Vets found that the animals were severely undernourished, had stunted development and said that they were likely to experience further suffering if not removed. This came after repeated instructions from inspectors to the farmer to care for his animals properly. It is reported that the animals are now being well cared for and their condition has improved. Efforts are being made to rehome them.

Whilst these cases may be extreme, they are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the suffering experienced by animals on British farms, as our undercover investigations have shown. The only way to ensure your food is cruelty free is to go vegan.

• Read the Daily Mail article on Woodside Farm
• Read the Western Telegraph article on Pembrokeshire Farm