Abattoir Staff Fired After Alleged Animal Abuse Footage Surfaces
Abattoir Staff Fired After Alleged Animal Abuse Footage Surfaces
Several staff members at a slaughterhouse in Arley, Warwickshire, have been dismissed following the release of footage online that allegedly shows sheep being manhandled. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched an investigation into the incident at the T&S Abattoir.
Nuneaton MP Jodie Gosling raised the issue in the House of Commons on Thursday, expressing horror at the video posted on YouTube by animal rights activist Joey Carbstrong. The 21-minute video reportedly depicts sheep being transported from a van into a gated area in the abattoir and shows hours of abusive behaviour at the facility in her constituency.
In response, T&S Abattoir management stated they were “shocked and disgusted” by the footage involving three employees and had “immediately” terminated their contracts.
Speaking in Parliament, Gosling highlighted the outrage felt by many over the failure of regulatory systems to detect and address the repeated breaches at the site. She called on the leader of the House to work with her to understand why it took an activist to bring these issues to light, while her constituents and the animals continued to suffer.
Responding to Gosling, the Leader of the Commons, Lucy Powell, said the FSA was taking action. “The FSA have already taken some action but if they’ve not taken sufficient action I will ensure that they do,” she said.
A spokesperson for the FSA confirmed that several people had been suspended from handling live animals and that the agency had “increased on-site presence during all slaughter operations whilst we look into these allegations further.” They added, “We will not hesitate to take more action as we have a zero-tolerance approach to animal welfare breaches.”
Original story: BBC News
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