Charges after cows beaten

Six charges have been laid after hidden camera footage showed a Northland farmer beating cows.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has filed charges against one person after receiving footage in June of a Northland farmer hitting cows with a pipe and other implements.

MPI’s manager of compliance investigations, Gary Orr, said the ministry had conducted a thorough investigation.

‘‘Six charges have been filed against an individual under the Animal Welfare Act,’’ he said.

‘‘As the matter is now before the courts, we will be making no further comment at this time.’’

Hidden camera footage showing cows repeatedly being hit with a pipe, a stick and a steel pipe during milking was supplied to by animal advocacy group Farmwatch.

The footage drew swift criticism from industry leaders, including Federated Farmers animal welfare spokesman Chris Lewis, who said the sharemilker should ‘‘get the eff out of our industry’’. Lewis described the footage as ‘‘shocking’’ and said there was no room in the dairy industry for farmers who mistreated their animals.

A week after its release, the owners of the farm said the contract milker had been banned from working unsupervised around animals.

In a statement they said ‘‘as lifelong and committed dairy farmers we are shocked and deeply saddened’’ by the reports of the ill treatment.