On film, starving pigs left to turn cannibal at farm
A SHOCKING catalogue of neglect at a pig farm that supposedly abides by the highest standards of animal welfare was revealed yesterday.
The farm, where pigs were filmed writhing in pain and being brutally killed, produces meat carrying the Red Tractor logo meaning it is ‘traceable, safe to eat and has been produced responsibly’.
Undercover investigators from animal welfare group Viva! planted cameras at Flat House Farm in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, which is home to around 8,000 pigs, between March and July this year.
Sickening footage depicts dead animals left to rot and being eaten by surviving pigs. Feral cats gnaw on the corpses and lame sows roll their eyes as they writhe in agony. Workers could be seen brutally killing piglets in footage that also showed visibly diseased, starving animals – which campaigners say is not only a risk to human health but could allow new diseases to flourish.
The Red Tractor organisation, the biggest food quality assurance scheme, said: ‘We are appalled by the images, protecting animal health and welfare is one of our top priorities. As of last night, the Red Tractor Certification was suspended with immediate effect.’ Henry Smith, the Conservative MP for Crawley and co-chairman of the allparty parliamentary group for animal welfare, said: ‘Viva!’s investigation contains some of the most disturbing images I have ever seen. It is clear the animals on this farm are suffering. If this is the Red Tractor standard, then consumers are being misled. We cannot allow farms like this to operate.’
Viva!’s Juliet Gellatley said: ‘Our team witnessed appalling conditions, documenting the systematic abuse of farmed pigs, whose short lives are
‘Nothing but misery and pain’
filled with nothing but misery and pain. Not only do factory farms raise serious welfare concerns, they also create an ideal environment for mutating viruses and antibioticresistant superbugs.’
Flat House Farm, which is owned by Elvidge Farms Ltd, said: ‘We have done nothing wrong. The RSPCA were happy with their spot check and that there was no case to answer upon completion of their inspection.’ A farm source said the video was falsified and the allegations were fake.
But an RSPCA spokesman said it had ‘looked into this and this incident has been referred to Trading Standards to investigate.’