Editorial – Animal Cruelty Cannot be Tolerated

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK has revoked the licence of one slaughterman following the publication last week of footage taken by Animal Aid allegedly at Cheale Meats in Essex.

The footage shows pigs being abused and manhandled in breach of animal welfare legislation.

As soon as the Agency received filmed extracts of the abuse at the plant, the FSA revoked the licence of one of the slaughtermen identified in the footage. The other slaughterman featured was in possession of a provisional licence, which has now expired and has not and will not be renewed.

According to Animal Aid, the film was recorded on a number of secretly installed cameras over a period of four days.

Speaking on the day the news of the video broke, the solicitor for Cheale Meats said: "I am currently reviewing and taking instructions from my clients in relation to video footage provided by Animal Aid. Given the source of this material, Elmkirk would not accept that all or any of the activities shown on this video relate to their premises.

"Elmkirk Ltd have had CCTV installed for a decade. I am therefore surprised that Animal Aid felt it necessary to target our client's premises as we understood that the stated purpose of their activities was to encourage abattoirs in this Country to install CCTV.

"Clearly any footage which relates to our clients premises has been obtained unlawfully. I have been involved in cases previously where such evidence has been ruled to be inadmissible or the Prosecution has declined to rely on evidence which has been obtained by burglary or other unlawful means.

"A complaint has been made to Essex Police by our clients in relation to any unlawful entry into our client's premises by an employee of Animal Aid. The outcome of that complaint is awaited."

The reaction from the FSA has been swift and rightly so, leading many to the conclusion that even if obtained illegally (and, therefore, not to be condoned), video proof of the mistreatment of animals may play an important role in eliminating such abhorrent behaviour in future.