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As the biggest provider of red meat to UK supermarkets, the multi-billion pound operation Cranswick is raring to boast of its ‘considerate farming’ credentials.
Its web site options fascinating pictures of piglets fortunately grazing in verdant fields, subsequent to the reassuring headline ‘Farming with conscience’.
Yet the truth – at certainly one of its farms a minimum of – is horrifically other, The Mail on Sunday can expose. Secret recordings bought solely through this newspaper display a horrific catalogue of animal abuse performed through sadistic staff.
In one sickening scene, a farm employee grabs a squealing piglet through its hind legs, swings the terrified animal top above his head and smashes it down brutally directly to the onerous ground.
Other harrowing photos presentations helpless sows being kicked and crushed with steel bars, in addition to distressing botched killings which left animals writhing in agony.
After one employee didn’t kill a sow with a number of pictures from a bolt gun, he informed the undercover investigator: ‘Don’t let no one see you doing like what we did [sic].’
Other damning photos covertly filmed over a number of weeks at Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire, presentations:
- Pigs being scratched, kneed, jabbed and piglets being hoisted through their ears then dropped directly to onerous flooring;
- One decomposing sow carcass left for days whilst every other used to be hit again and again with a steel slat through a employee shouting ‘bitch’;
- Piglets had their enamel brutally floor down and had their tails savagely reduce – a tradition known as ‘docking’ which Cranswick says it avoids;
- Farm group of workers claiming one employee used to be ‘drop-kicking’ piglets and one by one that ‘everyone kicks piglets’.
After being alerted to the abuse, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons stated they’d suspended their provides from the farm.
Secret recordings bought solely through this newspaper display a horrific catalogue of animal abuse performed through sadistic staff
In one sickening scene, a farm employee grabs a squealing piglet through its hind legs, swings the terrified animal top above his head and smashes it down brutally directly to the onerous ground
Other harrowing photos presentations distressing botched killings which left animals writhing in agony
Around 6,000 pigs are completely confined within cramped prerequisites there, with out a get admission to to the outside – and in no way to the golf green fields and spacious pig pens pictured on Cranswick’s web site. Here they’re reared, occasionally with out ever seeing sunlight, till they’re taken to an abattoir.
The farm’s father or mother corporate, Cranswick, sends greater than 34,000 pigs to slaughter every week and generated £146 million earnings from recent red meat final 12 months.
It markets its meat as ‘high welfare’ and ‘sustainable’ and its web site states: ‘Animal welfare is at the heart of our business.’ But the photos, recorded through an investigator dressed in hidden cameras, presentations repeated examples of farm staff killing piglets through smashing them in opposition to onerous flooring and partitions.
This banned way of killing is named ‘piglet thumping’ and is a felony offence. Piglets are killed if they’re the runts of the muddle – susceptible, ill or now not rising speedy sufficient to be winning. It is believed they’re then incinerated or used for dog food.
Eight thumpings had been stuck on digicam all the way through the process the investigation. These had been performed through 3 participants of group of workers in addition to the farm supervisor, and one piglet used to be observed gasping for breath even after it have been violently thumped.
The use of blunt pressure trauma on piglets used to be outlawed in 2022 after repeated warnings from the United Kingdom’s Animal Welfare Committee and the EU’s Reference Centre for Animal Welfare. Both known the process as unreliable, inhumane, and useless given to be had possible choices, together with shotguns and captive bolt weapons.
Yet Northmoor’s supervisor, Andrew Pentecost, 39, used to be recorded killing a piglet through thumping it in opposition to concrete.
Moments after he slammed the piglet, he informed the undercover investigator: ‘With small piglets we can do blunt force trauma to kill them… But the big ones we can’t do this with ’cos they’re too f***ing heavy.’
On its web site, Cranswick Farming portrays an idyllic public symbol, however the fact – at certainly one of its farms a minimum of – is horrifically other
Pictured: Northmoor Farm, the place Cranswick’s staff were beating piglets to demise
The horrific abuse has been stuck after being recorded through an investigator dressed in hidden cameras
Piglets are killed if they’re the runts of the muddle – susceptible, ill or now not rising speedy sufficient to be winning – it’s idea they’re then incinerated or used for dog food
Northmoor’s supervisor Andrew Pentecost used to be filmed botching the killing of a sow through now not restraining her correctly, leaving the animal screaming and writhing in agony
He used to be additionally filmed botching the killing of a sow through now not restraining her correctly, leaving the animal screaming and writhing in agony after it have been shot till she used to be shot a 2d time, 22 seconds later.
When the MoS approached Mr Pentecost for remark at his house in Scunthorpe, he denied piglet thumping went on on the farm.
The married father-of-three stated: ‘I have nothing to say about it. I am not aware of anything like that going on at the farm. I would not condone any behaviour like that. We have procedures to follow.’
One group of workers member on the farm used to be additionally filmed shouting at a sow and again and again calling her a ‘bitch’ as he hit her within the face with a steel slat more than one instances. Another admitted {that a} other group of workers member have been stuck ‘drop-kicking’ the piglets.
The web site overseer used to be recorded slamming a piglet in opposition to the bottom and telling the undercover investigator: ‘It’s sooner, you realize… after they’re small like that you’ll do it.’
With grim irony, an indication on a group of workers realize board reads: ‘Don’t cross house till you’ve resolved any factor you wouldn’t need to see within the media the following day.’
Experts and MPs condemned the movies as ‘sickening’ and ‘horrific’ and known as for Cranswick to be investigated.
Legal motion has additionally been introduced on behalf of Animal Justice Project, the animal rights staff at the back of the investigation, bringing up more than one breaches of animal welfare and shopper legislation on the farm, which might result in a felony investigation.
When the MoS approached Mr Pentecost (above) for remark at his house in Scunthorpe, he denied piglet thumping went on on the farm
The married father-of-three (above) stated: ‘I have nothing to say about it. I am not aware of anything like that going on at the farm. I would not condone any behaviour like that. We have procedures to follow’
Experts and MPs condemned the movies as ‘sickening’ and ‘horrific’ and known as for Cranswick to be investigated
Last night time, the crowd’s barrister Ayesha Smart filed a proper grievance to Trading Standards, writing that the photos of Northmoor presentations ‘what is clearly a failure to act in accordance with the law’.
She stated: ‘The use of blunt force trauma to kill piglets is banned –yet it appears to be used routinely and without restraint. This isn’t simply stunning, it’s illegal.’
And the crowd’s founder, Claire Palmer, added: ‘This marks the start of a national, sustained campaign to expose the violent realities of pig farming in Britain. We will not be pulling any punches
‘We are demanding immediate enforcement of the ban on blunt force trauma and the prosecution of Cranswick. There must be an independent public inquiry into pig farming practices and regulatory failures.
‘Ultimately, we’re calling for a legislative phase-out of pig farming in favour of a meals device that not is dependent upon animal struggling.’
Responding to the findings, Cranswick stated it had ordered an pressing investigation and had suspended the farm group of workers.
A spokesman stated: ‘The welfare of the animals we rear is of the utmost importance and we are extremely disappointed to see the unacceptable lapse of welfare standards captured at Northmoor Farm.
‘As soon as we saw the footage we suspended the team working at the farm and we are conducting an urgent and thorough investigation. We have also suspended the farm from supplying any pigs until the investigation is completed.’
Responding to the findings, Cranswick stated it had ordered an pressing investigation and had suspended the farm group of workers
In the photos, the pigs are visibly terrified as staff on the farm are captured aggresively kicking the steel bars in their pen
Dr Alick Simmons, the federal government’s former deputy leader veterinary officer, stated the photos presentations ‘repeated and ineffective attempts to kill piglets using blunt force trauma’.
He added: ‘That such practices are taking place on a large, commercial farm highlights a serious failure in training, management and oversight.
‘This is unacceptable, particularly when a humane and legally acceptable alternative exists. It causes significant suffering and has no place in modern farming.’
The farm is licensed through Red Tractor, a top quality mark which is supposed to make sure rigorous requirements of animal welfare.
This approach grocery store consumers purchasing bacon, sausages and ham which got here from Northmoor will see the Red Tractor Union Jack stamp and the phrases ‘Certified Pork’ at the packaging – trusting that their meat has been humanely reared.
Approached for remark through the MoS, Red Tractor stated it might straight away droop the farm’s certificates pending investigation.
Cranswick is a £2.8 billion corporate that lately signed a ten-year deal to offer all of Sainsbury’s British red meat and may be a provider to Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and others.The corporate recorded pre-tax earnings of £176 million final 12 months and its leader govt, Adam Couch, used to be paid £3.3 million.
Today’s bombshell revelations are the second one fresh blow for the corporate after its plans for a debatable mega farm in Norfolk had been rejected final month over environmental issues.
Images from Cranswick Farming’s web site seem to turn a really perfect situation for the animals
Piglets at the web site are portayed to have an ideal existence on Cranswick’s farms, but the stunning photos presentations that on a minimum of certainly one of its farms, this isn’t the case
A commentary on Cranswick’s web site reads that they’re ‘dedicated to mantaining top welfare requirements’
The farm used to be because of space as much as 870,000 chickens and 14,000 pigs over two websites however gained just about 15,000 lawsuits. It used to be sooner or later blocked through councillors following fears from citizens it might give out foul odours together with ammonia fumes, draw in swarms of flies and lead to hundreds of lorries riding previous properties.
But nowadays’s revelations are more likely to turn out much more problematic for the compamy, with MPs of all stripes lining as much as condem the abuse stuck on digicam.
Former Liberal Democrat chief Tim Farron stated he could be tabling a written query in Parliament this week to invite the Government what it intends to do to ‘clamp down on this illegal and barbaric practice’ of thumping.
He added: ‘I am absolutely horrified by the video footage unearthed by The Mail on Sunday which shows piglet slamming. The fact that this inhumane practice is happening in this country, where we rightly pride ourselves as having the best animal welfare standards in the world, is sickening.’
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay stated: ‘The footage from Northmoor Farm is truly sickening. This blatant and disgusting abuse shows disregard for the welfare of these animals and the law.
‘The revolting practice of piglet slamming was outlawed in 2022. Time and time again, government has failed to enforce humane standards through proper spot checks and adequately rigorous prosecution.’
Sir Roger Gale MP, patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, stated: ‘The scenes shown in this footage are deeply disturbing and raise serious concerns about the standards being maintained on a farm certified by Red Tractor.
‘The public deserves confidence that the food they buy is produced with care and in accordance with proper welfare standards.’
Cranswick, on a web page titles ‘Our Farming Expertise’ says it’s ‘pleased with our heritage and eager about our long run’
They upload that they’re ‘Empowering and supporting our farmers to do the appropriate factor. For themselves. For the animals. For the planet.’
Labour’s Irene Campbell stated she used to be ‘appalled to hear of this horrific abuse’, whilst fellow Labour MP Terry Jermy, who adversarial Cranswick’s megafarm, stated: ‘I am deeply concerned to learn of these incidents which follow similar horrifying examples of animal cruelty at other locations.
‘We have to do more to uphold animal welfare standards which consumers expect and also improve upon those standards.’
Supermarkets additionally condemned the horrific scenes stuck through the undercover investigator.
A Sainsbury’s spokesman stated: ‘These allegations involve unacceptable treatment of animals, which has no place in our supply chain.’
A Tesco spokesman stated: ‘We take all reports of poor animal welfare extremely seriously and expect our suppliers to adhere to our high welfare standards.’
A Morrisons spokesman stated: ‘We care deeply about animal welfare and these are shocking and concerning allegations.’
And Asda stated: ‘We have clear animal welfare policies that all our suppliers must uphold and we welcome the swift response and action taken by Cranswick at this farm.’
The squalid, cramped prerequisites filmed there are a a ways cry from the bucolic images on Cranswick’s web site appearing pigs and piglets roaming round in inexperienced, sunny fields dotted with conventional pig huts.
A Sainsbury’s spokesman stated: ‘These allegations involve unacceptable treatment of animals, which has no place in our supply chain’ (Stock Image)
A Tesco spokesman stated: ‘We take all reports of poor animal welfare extremely seriously and expect our suppliers to adhere to our high welfare standards’ (Stock Image)
A Morrisons spokesman said: ‘We care deeply about animal welfare and these are shocking and concerning allegations’ (Stock Image)
And Asda stated: ‘We have clear animal welfare policies that all our suppliers must uphold and we welcome the swift response and action taken by Cranswick at this farm’ (Stock Image)
While Cranswick has a number of outdoor farms, its company policy states that it has a ‘moral and ethical responsibility’ to all animals in its provide chain.
It problems its ‘Cranswick Pig Standard’ to all providers which recognise the animals as ‘sentient beings’ and calls for them to have ‘freedom to undergo positive emotional experiences’.
The corporate additionally has key commitments of heading off confinement for pigs and heading off enamel grinding and tail docking – all of that have been captured going down at Northmoor Farm.
CEO Adam Couch has spoken broadly in regards to the significance of animal welfare and in 2019, after Cranswick received a big animal welfare award, stated: ‘Farm animal welfare is a cause that is close to our and our customers’ hearts and due to this fact we’ve made it a concern for our trade with an unstinting center of attention on riding up requirements.’
