A 63-year-old farmer from Somerset has been banned from keeping cattle for life and ordered to pay costs totalling £4,642 to the courts for causing unnecessary suffering to a calf, among other charges.
Sally Jones of Brent Knoll pleaded guilty to all charges. These included: Failing to ensure that animals had access to a dry lying area, failure to remove or repair sharp edges or protrusions which posed a hazard to livestock, and failure to dispose of animal-by products without undue delay.
She also pleaded guilty to breaching biosecurity measures put in place to reduce the risk of avian influenza (bird flu).
Jones’ case was brought by the South West Trading Standards Service, after it received concerns by members of the public
In January 2022, officers from Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service and the Animal and Plant Health Agency discovered a collapsed calf in an emaciated state, which later needed to be put to sleep, on Jones’ smallholding.
The officers also discovered that a number of animals did not have a dry-bedded areas and had access to sharp objects, such as a rusty gate and barbed wire, contained within a sheep field which posed a risk to their health.
Commenting on the case, Stephen Gardiner, Interventions Manager for Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service said:
“Despite the efforts and previous advice offered by our Trading Standards Officers and the Animal and Plant Health Agency vets, Miss Jones has continued to fall short of her legal obligations in respect of both animal welfare and general husbandry duties.
“With the steep rise of avian influenza across the country, it is imperative that all poultry keepers comply with the housing order ensuring that their birds are properly housed in a suitably fenced or netted to reduce the spread of this highly infectious disease.”
