Livestock had no paperwork
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by Steve McQueen • A Welsh livestock haulier has been fined £5,000 by Birmingham magistrates after being found guilty of 15 offences of failing to ensure animals in transit had the appropriate documentation.
On 9 January a vehicle operated by Ieuan Maldvvyn Evans (trading as IM Evans & Son) of Sam n Farm in Hollywell was stopped by West Midlands Police on the M6 near Perry Barr. It was carrying 113 sheep and bound for a Birmingham slaughterhouse.
The driver was unable to produce the mandatory Animal Transport Certificate. Further investigations revealed another 14 occasions in the previous eight weeks where no ATC had been completed.
The operator was fined £1,250 on the first four counts, with £220 costs. No specific penalty was imposed on the other 11 counts.
"Although the driver had committed no offences for which we could take any action against him, this prosecution shows the seriousness of these offences and that operators will be held responsible for the actions of their drivers," says Graham Taylor, senior animal welfare officer at Birmingham City Council's environ mental services department.
Tougher controls over the health of live animals destined for export were outlined in a Government consultation paper last week. As part of the package of measures, a new panel of veterinary surgeons will have powers to prevent animals embarking on journeys if they are not healthy and fit to travel. However, the Road Haulage Association believes most hauliers will still be paid for the total load even if a number of animals are rejected as unfit. "They should be paid exactly the same," says RHA manager of agriculture Graham Houghton.