Haulier cleared of cruelty
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transporters and one of its drivers have been cleared by Harwich magistrates of causing unnecessary suffering to lambs being moved on a fourdeck transporter.
ME Edwards & Sons, and driver Michael Forsyth, denied using a vehicle when it was likely that unnecessary suffering would
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be caused; and one offence involving a defective floor likely to cause injury.
Veterinary officer Jennifer Egan said there had been insufficient clearance between the heads of the lambs and the ceilings of the tiers; the heads and backs of some of them were touching the floor joists of the tier. She added that when the lambs were unloaded, a video showed that many of them bumped their heads against the roof joists. After unloading, she noticed a gap in one of the floors through which lambs feet could slip.
But Egan agreed with defence solicitor Jonathan Lawton that she had not seen any injured sheep. She also agreed there was no evidence to suggest the gap was there while the sheep were being transported.
Forsyth said there had been nothing to suggest that the sheep had been anything but happy and comfortable. The floor was designed to fold back and when looked at from the side it might appear there was a gap, but when looked al from the top there was no gap, he added.
Sheep farmer and breeder Alf Carter said he did not think the sheep had been at risk. He added that the natural position of sheep was to have the head and back in a horizontal plane and it was clear from the video that the sheep had lifted their heads bemuse the cameras had been pushed up their noses.