More illegal meat seized in Dover amid funding cuts
The government has been told to reverse its decision to slash funding for checks on illegal meat imports at the Port of Dover as another 3.4 tonnes of illegal meat was seized.
Dover District Council warned that a failure to act could expose the UK livestock industry to devastating disease, like African swine fever (ASF).
The 3.4 tonnes of illegal meat seized at Dover last week was the largest haul this year so far, taking the total seized since new ASF control measure came into force in 2022 to 85t.
The rules make it illegal for travellers to bring pork products weighing over 2kg into the country from the EU unless produced to the bloc’s commercial standards.
The latest seizures came from a number of vehicle inspections completed by Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) at the port.
They included 54 unmarked sheep carcasses from two vehicles from Romania, which had travelled for several days in unhygienic conditions and unsuitable packaging.