1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152 
RSPCA lodges complaint
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
HAULIERS transporting live animals across Europe are flouting drivers' hours regulations, export licensing laws and inflicting great hardship on livestock, according to a British MEP briefed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Richard Simmonds, who represents Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, is demanding Common Market action to prevent these abuses.
The RSPCA has lodged a 150page document formally complaining to the European Commission. The RSPCA says that neither drivers' hours nor, in some cases, tachograph regulations are being observed.
It also claims to have identified 140 cases when animals have been transported for up to 66 hours without food and water.
An RSPCA spokesperson said that the French Ministry of Transport is "very interested in our evidence", and is likely to crack down with road blocks. She also hoped that the European Commission would act to co-ordinate drivers' hours law and export licensing regulations.
But two hauliers who featured heavily in the RSPCA's report have strongly denied that they have been acting illegally. Ken Lane Transport from Nottingham, and Peter Gilder and Sons from Bourton-on-theWater, Gloucestershire, said it is "totally untrue".
Mr Gilder said that he did not contravene drivers' hours regulations as he always used two drivers.