Put CCTV in all abattoirs, Gove orders TO PREVENT HORRORS LIKE THIS...
ABATTOIRS must install CCTV by next summer in a crackdown on animal cruelty ordered by Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Owners in breach of new laws could face prison and the premises will be forced to close.
The move follows a string of sickening incidents which has exposed the appalling treatment of some animals.
When welfare group Animal Aid secretly filmed inside 11 randomly chosen slaughterhouses, it found clear evidence of cruelty in ten of them. Workers were seen stubbing out cigarettes in the faces of pigs, and animals were stamped on, beaten and punched.
Mr Gove said: ‘We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and want to cement our status as a global leader by continuing to raise the bar. All animals should be treated with the utmost respect at all stages of life and be subject to the highest possible welfare standards.
‘These strong measures also provide a further demonstration to consumers around the world that, as we leave the EU, we continue to produce our food to the very highest standards.’
Under the proposals, Food Standards Agency vets who check on the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses in England will be given unrestricted access to the last 90 days of CCTV footage.
A new Bill will be brought before Parliament in the new year and it is expected to become law by the spring. Firms will be given six months’ grace to comply.
At present, animal cruelty convictions can result in an unlimited fine or a maximum of six months in prison. However, a Government review has proposed a maximum five-year sentence.
David Bowles, the RSPCA’s head of public affairs, said it was essential to know more details about the location of the cameras, footage quality and storage, and who had access.
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