Covert footage shows ‘horrendous cruelty’ towards sheep at UK abattoir
Animal welfare charity calls for mandatory cameras in slaughterhouses across Wales
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Your support makes all the difference.Covert video footage allegedly shows sheep being killed without being properly stunned and thrown around by their throats and legs at an abattoir in Wales.
Animal Aid said its investigators captured four sets of films during visits to Farmers Fresh slaughterhouse in Wrexham between 26 March and 3 June this year.
The secretly-filmed footage reportedly shows workers improperly using stunning tongs on the faces, necks and legs of sheep.
If animals are not stunned properly, it can mean they are still conscious when they have their throats cut.
The video footage allegedly also shows sheep being thrown onto a conveyer belt, and at one point a worker allegedly sits on one of the animals.
Animal Aid’s campaign manager, Tor Bailey, called on the Welsh government to make it mandatory for CCTV cameras to be installed in abattoirs across Wales, as it is in England and Scotland.
She said: “At this fast-paced killing factory the issues were extensive and across the board.
“Without our covert cameras in place, this horrendous situation may have continued, unchecked for some time.
“We’re calling on the Welsh government to introduce independently-monitored mandatory CCTV without delay across Wales.”
The Food Standards Agency said a criminal investigation was underway.
A spokesperson said: “The Food Standards Agency takes animal welfare at slaughterhouses very seriously and a criminal investigation is underway.
“We took swift action to increase our presence at Farmer Fresh in Wrexham and to introduce additional checks and ensure animal welfare was being protected.
“We are unable to comment further while the investigation is ongoing.”
A spokeswoman for Farmers Fresh told The Independent the company had “no comment” to make.
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