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Conviction will hit pig transport

8th October 1998, Page 10
8th October 1998
Page 10
Page 10, 8th October 1998 — Conviction will hit pig transport
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• The successful prosecution of the driver and operator of an Irish livestock truck could end the transport of ex-breeding pigs across the Irish Sea for slaughter.

Operator John Alexander Clark, trading as John Clark, from Tobermore in County Londonderry, was fined .£2,400 last week after pleading guilty to 17 offences against the Welfare of animals (Transport) Order 1997.

Driver David Gordon, of Kilrea in County Londonderry, was fined £750 after pleading guilty to seven similar offences.

On 14 January the vehicle was stopped by West Midlands Police during a random check on the M6 near Perry Bar, It had travelled overnight via Stranraer and was en route to an Essex abattoir.

Graham Taylor, senior animal welfare officer at Birmingham City Council's environmental services department, discovered two dead pigs among an illegally mixed consignment of boars and sows. He told the court that the pens were too large, there was insufficient lighting for inspection purposes, no animal feed was on board and the water supply equipment was rusting, which suggested prolonged disuse.

VI officials imposed an immediate prohibition on the trailer because the brakes were defective. The animals had to be trans-shipped to a replacement vehicle organised by the abattoir Operator.

Subsequent investigations revealed concerns about the quality of other pigs arriving at the slaughterhouse in earlier consignments.

Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland have been briefed and are expected to ensure that ex-breeding pigs are slaughtered locally in future.

Taylor says the successful prosecution justified the random check process. He says exbreeding pigs are unsuitable for transporting over such long distances and the industry must address transport issues to ensure compliance with the regulatory controls.


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