Farms face increase in checks to halt cruelty

FARMS face a rise in surprise inspections by the Red Tractor certification scheme in an attempt to counter claims of animal cruelty.

The UK scheme sets standards for welfare, food safety and environmental protection.

The Red Tractor logo on supermarket products has been seen as a badge of quality.

But its reputation has been damaged by a series of undercover investigations by animal rights activists on Red Tractor farms. Earlier this year, video evidence revealed inhumane conditions on a Bedfordshire pig farm.

A farm worker was caught swinging piglets against a wall

by their legs, while dozens of dead animals littered the floor of the farrowing sheds.

Some 46,000 UK farms are members of the scheme and they are routinely inspected at least once a year.

At the same time, there are about 1,000 unannounced inspections.

Under the new regime, businesses which fail standards will be subject to more surprise checks by inspectors, backed by the threat of expulsion.

Dr Toni Shephard, from Animal Equality, said: ‘Every farm in their scheme should get at least one unannounced inspection a year as a minimum. Farms that fail to meet even the minimum welfare standards required by Red Tractor should be publicly named.’

‘Those that fail should be named’