Three men charged in UK for allegedly conspiring to sell horsemeat with beef

The charges follow a complex international criminal investigation

Law enforcement agencies across Europe have worked with City of London police to uncover cases of fraud with horsemeat and beef (Reuters)

Three men are accused of allegedly conspiring to sell horsemeat as beef.

They are charged with fraud for seeking to sell goods which contained a mix of beef and horsemeat.

Ulrik Nielsen, aged 57 from Denmark, Alex Ostler-Beech, aged 43 from Hull, and Andronicos Sideras, aged 54 from Southgate, will all appear at the City of London Magistrates Court.

The charges against them come after an investigation by the City of London police which looked into an alleged plan to sell the tampered meat in 2012.

A complex international criminal investigation by the City of London police which the Food Standards Agency and Crown Prosecution service teamed up with law enforcement agencies across Europe to reach the charge.

Mr Ostler-Beech was first arrested in July 2013, while Mr Nielsen was interviewed under caution in Hull. Another 52-year-old man was released with no futher action.

The charges come after Peter Boddy, a 65-year-old slaughterhouse employer in Yorkshire, was fined £8,000 for failing to abide by EU meat rules.

Controversy over horsemeat being passed off as beef was first exposed in January 2013, when horse DNA was found in frozen burgers in several British and Irish supermarkets including Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Iceland and Dunnes Stores.