PIG SICKENING
Farm supplying pork to Tesco dumps dead animals in woods
PilES of pig bones in a grisly woodland “graveyard” have been found next to a farm which supplies pork for tesco.
A dozen skulls and mounds of remains were found dumped on land registered to Hogwood Farm, where shocking conditions were exposed by the Sunday Mirror last month.
Campaigners from animal charity VIVA discovered the graveyard near Brian Hobill’s farm. New pictures obtained last week clearly show the 12 skulls – some still with ear tags.
VIVA founder Juliet Gellatley said: “We were appalled to find the pig graveyard in Hobill’s wood. Mounds of pig bones were piled high, covered in moss and undergrowth.
“It’s a risk to human health. It also shows a blatant disrespect for these poor pigs who have endured a life of suffering and misery at the hands of the farmer. It’s so unnecessary.
“Walking into woods strewn with bodily remains, I felt like I’d walked into the aftermath of a war zone. Unmarked graves for animals who were just a number. I found an ear tag ‘224’ next to the skull of a pig.
“We found 12 skulls, jaws, shoulder bones and legs scattered around and a mound filled with rotting remains – like a macabre scene from a horror film. But these victims were alive and suffered and died for nothing.”
The Sunday Mirror told last month how pigs crammed into a barn were found chomping on rotting carcasses.
Sickening film taken by activists showed another dead hog with a huge wound being eaten by one of the 15,000 pigs packed into the farm.
The skulls of two more pigs, a jaw bone and a leg that had been devoured in the same pen were a clear breach of DEFRA guidelines. Juliet went on: “Our initial investigation exposed widespread abuse in a disgustingly dirty ‘Red Tractor Approved’ factory farm.
“Inside this hell hole we filmed cannibalism, sick dying pigs and wheelbarrows full of dead rotting animals.
“Cannibalism is not natural behaviour for pigs and is caused by this bleak environment.
“Now this shoddy graveyard shows a total disregard for animals. Government guidelines state the ‘burial or burning of fallen stock in the open is banned to prevent the risk of spreading disease from residues in the soil, groundwater or air pollution’.” VIVA campaigners were tipped off by a rambler who spotted the skeletons at the woodland in Warwickshire. Details have been passed to Trading Standards, Environmental Health and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Juliet added: “Hogwood typifies institutionalised cruelty, sanctioned by government.”
It is understood that Tesco officials inspected the farm in recent weeks.
Tesco said: “We take animal welfare extremely seriously and expect producers to meet recognised standards as well as our own stringent, industry leading requirements.
“Our dedicated agriculture team, Red Tractor and the Animal and Plant Health Agency visit farms regularly and any claims standards have not been reached are fully investigated.”
Mr Hobill said: “The bones found in the woods are likely to pre-date the burial ban on fallen stock which was introduced in 2003. Before that time farmers were legally permitted to bury fallen stock.”
Farm hell was exposed by Mirror, then activists found ear tags, above, at pig graves