CONVICTED (2018) | farmer Clive Lockton, born c. 1958, of New Road Farm, Todenham, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 9PN – kept his livestock and poultry in terrible conditions

Lockton pleaded guilty to 17 animal welfare offences including causing unnecessary suffering to a female pig as well as failing to ensure animal welfare and failing to properly inform the authorities of a death of a cow on the farm.

The conditions in which the farmer kept his livestock and poultry were so unsuitable and dangerous that one pig was injured by a makeshift shelter which collapsed on it. The animal had to be shot by a vet to relieve its suffering when animal welfare inspectors visited.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to ear mark cattle and failing to inform the authorities of animal movements off his farm.

The court heard how Trading Standards officer Claire Miers and vet Marie Ipas both visited Lockton’s farm on June 7th last year and found 75 pigs, seven sheep and hundreds of chickens living in a ‘terrible conditions’ with poor, inadequate bedding and feed and water.

Prosecuting Bonnie Styles said there was no fresh water or bedding for the animals and that shelters constructed by Lockton had collapsed, injuring a sow.

The pig had a massive abscess on its leg and had suffered broken ribs when the wall fell on it. It was in such a poor state a vet had to be called immediately to shoot the animal to put it out of its misery.

The court heard how Miss Miers had previously visited the farm and helped Lockton apply for planning permission to build a new shed for the pigs but when she later returned the shed was being used to house cattle.

“At one end of the shed there was an area which was used for feeding. There were pallets and a trough all tied together with string and there were planks on the floor with nails sticking out of them which the cattle could injure themselves on,” said Miss Styles.

“In the feeding area the mud was so deep the cattle couldn’t walk and there was metal corrugated panels sticking out of the ground.

“There was an old bath used for feeding which was in a filfthy condition and in a water container there was a dead bird which Mr Lockton said he was going to remove later.

“There were holes in the floor big enough for a pig to fall into.”

The court heard there was also a pile of out of date food which the chickens and pigs had access to.

“There was Cumberland sausages, chicken and bacon sandwiches and flame grilled chicken which the free roaming pigs and hens had access to,” said Miss Styles.

The inspectors also saw three calves without ear tags which are required by law because of animal health and movement regulations.

They also found a sow in pain suffering.

“The pig was in a very poor condition and had what appeared to be an open wound on its legs. It was hobbling and its jaw was dislocated,” said Miss Styles.

Manure and dirt had built up in the water containers.

“The pig pens were in a very poor state with no dry area and empty food buckets,” said Miss Styles.

Sentencing: rehabilitation order to carry out 15 days’ community service over 12 months. Total of £485 costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping cattle and pigs for a period of five years, with stipulation that this cannot be appealed for a period of two years.

Punchline Gloucester
GloucestershireLive