On 18 July 2022 Kent Live reported growing concerns from residents of the West Kent village of Kemsing over the welfare of a number of “distressed” dogs owned by Tom and Stacey Simpson of Childsbridge Lane and apparently kept 24/7 in a metal cage in their garden. A small but vocal and proactive group of animal lovers had formed on the social media app Nextdoor to exchange information regarding the dogs and the action, or rather inaction, of the authorities to respond to their justified complaints.

One resident described the dogs’ accommodation as “a concreted floor, a metal enclosure left to the outside elements. No beds, no roof. Nothing left but to bake in this awful heat and freeze in the winter.”

Another added: “It’s three [sic] dogs kept in a cage with no shelter or shade all day and all night, never taken out or exercised. They eat, sleep, poo and wee in there. They have no beds and sleep on bare concrete in all weathers. They are used purely for breeding purposes and the breeders are now interbreeding and all from a council house.”

“Blanket of Fear”

The Simpsons have reportedly responded to the recent allegations with what neighbours said was all-too-familiar aggression and intimidation.

One resident described Tom Simpson as “a nasty bit of work that uses threatening behaviour to keep his neighbours quiet” adding that the situation with the dogs had gone on “for years and years” with authorities too “spineless” to intervene.

Another said that the couple had created a “blanket of fear in the road” with neighbours “keeping their blinds and curtains shut so the [Simpsons] can’t accuse them of filming or saying anything”.

The Allegations

The following must be treated as alleged information until more concrete evidence, particularly pertaining to any dog breeding activity carried out by the Simpsons, comes to light.

• The Simpsons are backyard breeders and regularly produce and sell litters of puppies from their house, which is owned by West Kent Housing Association .
• The dogs, up to four in number and all Jack Russell breed, are kept permanently outdoors in the cluttered rear garden within a metal enclosure with a concrete floor. There is no bedding and they are rarely let out of the cage. The only shelter is a plastic igloo-type kennel. They are fully exposed to searing heat in the summer and bitter cold in the winter.
• The couple have been investigated for animal cruelty in the past and had dogs removed but quickly replace them with others.
• They have refused access to both the RSPCA and dog warden from Sevenoaks District Council.
• The Simpsons were eventually visited by officers from Kent Police’s Community Safety Unit accompanied by Sevenoaks District Council staff. Tom Simpson apparently told the officials that the dogs’ accommodation was “temporary” because he was fixing holes in the fence. This was clearly at odds with the reports from neighbours who remain adamant that the dogs are in the cage on a full-time permanent basis. As one put it: “they are kept in a cage at the end of the garden 365 days a year in searing heat or rain, hail, snow. No shelter, no beds. The only time they come out is if they are having their puppies”. She added: “Different if they were trapped in a car then they would do something!”
  
  Sadly it appears that Simpson was believed with Kent Police giving some advice but deciding that no further action was necessary. This disappointing outcome was later confirmed somewhat smugly on the force’s Twitter account (see below).

Known Facts

IMPORTANT! The following details are provided for information only and must not be used to harass anyone. We would urge our followers to comply with the law at all times.

• The dogs are kept in a metal enclosure within the rear garden of a semi-detached house at 18 Childsbridge Lane, Kemsing, Sevenoaks TN15 6TL.
• The owners are settled English travellers Tom and Stacey Ann Simpson (née Smith), both born 1979. The couple have lived at the housing association-owned property for around 10 years. They have a son in his late teens, named Thomas Samuel Simpson, who lives in a caravan in the property’s driveway. They also have younger children.
• The Simpsons are partners of a business named T&S Roofing & Building (not to be confused with businesses of a similar or even identical name elsewhere in the country). Contact details are:
  t: 0800 858 9682
  t: 01732 760 038
  m: 07503 705 092
• The business has garnered good reviews on trustatrader.com (page just removed but there’s a screenshot below), mybuilder.com and ratedpeople.com. T&S Roofing & Building has no social media presence as far as we can find. This may be explained by the fact that Tom Simpson is said to be illiterate.
• Stacey Simpson is on Facebook though there is little to see on her profile other than two pictures of a Jack Russell puppy who looks very similar in colouring to those in the cage.
• Tom Simpson drives a white Ford Transit van, registration MF58 OYC.

Response from the Authorities

The RSPCA

On 18 July an RSPCA spokesperson told Kent Live that they were “aware of this situation” but were “unable to discuss complaints about specific people .. .for legal reasons.”

it was reported on Nextdoor that an RSPCA inspector had attended the location but been refused access by the Simpsons. The couple did, however, bring a dog to the door, whom the inspector assessed as being in good health.

Several members of the protest group have emailed local Chief Inspector Nick Wheelhouse directly appealing to him to take action, but at the time of writing have yet to receive a response from him.

Kent Police Sevenoaks

Kent Police took to Twitter to confirm that officers from their Community Safety Unit had attended the address with Sevenoaks District Council staff. They stated that whilst some advice was given to the owners (apparently it was recommended that they install a roof over the enclosure) “all was in order” and no further action would be taken against them.

West Kent Housing Association

A spokesperson for West Kent Housing Association (WKHA) told Kent Live: “We’re sorry to hear about concerns over dogs in cages at Childsbridge Lane. We take all reports of animal cruelty and neglect in any form very seriously and will take action against those who are not looking after their pets in line with our pets policy. Although we cannot go into detail about individual cases, we are working with Sevenoaks District Council’s Animal Welfare Officer and the RSPCA to investigate and address the concerns.”

There have been no meaningful updates from WKHA since and they have been issuing the following stock response to anyone contacting them about the case:

Sevenoaks District Council

The council’s dog warden service were reportedly denied access to the property and the dogs but council officials ultimately attended and have responded to complainants as follows:

“One of our officers and the police visited the property this morning. They were granted access to the rear garden and viewed the accommodation provided for the dogs.

“Based upon what we saw, we can confirm that we are satisfied with the welfare arrangements (sufficient shade, water, regular wetting down etc) and that the dogs showed no signs of distress.

“On the basis of this visit, we are not intending to take any further action regarding the welfare of the dogs at this time.”

Another council officer, believed to be part of the dog warden service, elaborated with this response. She wrote:

“I would confirm that our officer and Kent Police visited this property unannounced and inspected the properties and the kennelling arrangements within the garden. Whilst I appreciate your concerns about the dogs being outside on such a hot day, the facilities being provided by the owner were sufficient to meet the requirement of legislation. Further, the dogs did not show any signs of distress or indications of poor welfare.

“With consideration to what we saw during the visit, we do not consider that conditions are in breach of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and therefore no further action can be taken at this time. Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor the situation and if circumstances change we will review our current position”.

The writer went on to confirm that the council “are separately investigating the allegations of breeding and whilst there were no puppies present during our visit, this element of the complaint has not yet been determined”.

The council have requested that any information regarding the alleged breeding be notified to them.

One complainant was unwilling to be fobbed off and replied:

“I’m absolutely shocked and horrified you have been taken in by the lies of Stacey and Tom Simpson.

“Those dogs NEVER leave that cage and are not wetted down regularly. Speak to the neighbours and get the TRUTH instead of believing those two lowlifes.

“Do you really think this is acceptable that they have lived without bedding and PROPER shade for 10 years? Is suitable shade a PLASTIC IGLOO that would house one dog and be an oven in this weather?

“And why on earth are you not investigating the unregistered puppy breeding?

“Is it because you are scared of them because they are travellers. Lets face it, they have got away with it so long because they use fear and intimidation on their neighbours.

“This is NOT going to go away.

“You may not care about these poor dogs that now it has been made public on social media there are 100’s of people that do.

“You should hold your head in shame that you think this is ok.”

One resident wrote on the Nextdoor group that the response from the “gutless .. .pathetic” authorities was ” the usual blah blah blah” and said that they were hiding behind the law.

Next Steps

As matters stand, the four little Jack Russells will remain as they have been for several years: largely ignored and blatantly unloved by their heartless owners as they languish in an exposed barren roofless outdoor enclosure in all kinds of weather with only a plastic igloo-style kennel for shelter.

The authorities’ hands are apparently tied because the bar on what constitutes acceptable living conditions under the Animal Welfare Act is set pretty low.

And yet based on the evidence the Simpsons are paying scant regard to the Five Freedoms – the globally recognised standard for animal welfare.

We consider them to be in breach of at least three of these: freedom from discomfort, freedom to express normal behaviour and freedom from fear and distress.

Freedom from discomfort
No animal should be left experiencing pain or discomfort without adequate veterinary care. All animals should be kept in appropriate housing, and afforded a safe and healthy living environment.

Freedom to express normal behaviour
Animals have the right to move and express normal behaviour, specific to their species. Under this freedom, sufficient space, suitable facilities and the company of the animal’s own kind must be provided. There should be the option to interact with, or avoid, animals of the same species, and adequate space to stretch and move normally.

Freedom from fear and distress
The mental health of animals is just as important as their physical health, and they should be treated with this in mind. Overcrowding should be avoided, and suitable stimulation provided.

The public could continue to pressurise the RSPCA and Sevenoaks District Council, but these organisations are unlikely to budge on their position and instead will be hoping that the matter will go away.

The Nextdoor protest group have confirmed that this won’t happen.

Take Action

We would urge animal lovers to continue to bombard Sevenoaks District Council with complaints. Here’s the contact information you need:

Sevenoaks District Council dog warden
t: 01732 227196
Ann-marie.Milton@sevenoaks.gov.uk

West Kent Housing (owners of the property) also have a duty to investigate here especially if their property is being used as an unlicensed puppy farm as alleged. Their details:

t: 01732 749400
Contact form: https://www.westkent.org/about-us/contact-us/

Aside from being restricted by the limitations of the woefully inadequate Animal Welfare Act, these organisations may also be paralysed by the fact that the dogs’ owners are from the travelling community. This could be because of political correctness (they won’t want to be seen to persecute a minority community – that approach worked out well in Rotherham and Telford, didn’t it?) Or maybe they’re terrified of unleashing violent repercussions. After all, travellers are renowned for their terrifying intimidation tactics when things don’t go their way.

So what other options are available to ramp up the pressure on the authorities to take action against these people?

One tactic that has worked well in the past would be a noisy public demonstration ideally at the location where the (alleged) abuse is taking place.

One animal activist with many years of successful campaigning behind her including last year’s ‘Catmandu’ protest in Gainsborough, which resulted in dozens of cats being rescued from an extreme animal hoarder, favours this approach. She told us:

The best thing the locals can do is to get outside that house with placards etc as many as possible. Make a noise, and cause the police a headache. Once police manpower is being used to prevent a breach of the peace they soon respond. With that comes media interest and they don’t like that either. They’ll soon get the RSPCA in there with a warrant of entry. I’ve seen this work in practice.

Finally, a word to Tom and Stacey Simpson: Have a Heart for the Kemsing Four

We will conclude this piece by appealing to the owners themselves to show some compassion for the animals in their care.

A life in a barren outdoor kennel without any comforts is no life for any dog. Those four little ones deserve so much better than the life you’re giving them right now and we urge you as human beings to see that.

Ideally we would like to see you immediately sign the dogs and any other pets you might have over to a rescue. We would ask you not to replace them of course and instead accept that you are not suitable pet owners.

The ball is now in your court. Please do the right thing for the Kemsing Four.

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Update January 2023

We are advised that after their blatant animal abuse was exposed to the world both on social media and in the local press, the Simpsons were persuaded to sign over their Jack Russells to an animal rescue service. This took place in late July 2022.

Sadly the jubilation of local animal lovers over this seemingly positive outcome was to be short-lived.

Within weeks the couple had acquired a new dog – a black and white female Staffy whom they kept in the garden during the day and locked up in a wooden garden shed at night.

Back to square one but with a brand new victim, local animal lovers once again began to bombard the authorities, including the police, RSPCA and West Kent Housing Association, with emails and calls, urging them to prosecute the Simpsons for animal welfare breaches. These people, they said, needed to be banned from keeping animals once and for all. Again, nothing productive was done and as the nights grew colder locals feared that the distressed Staffy imprisoned alone and unloved in a shed would freeze to death.

One woman wrote that the dog was “kept outside all day in the snow and at night in a cold shed. The owners give her no attention, no walks, nothing. She’s purely used to give them puppies to make money. She is short-haired and has no coat to keep her warm”.

Another said that the dog who was “possibly pregnant” had “no shelter in the day, no walks, no stimulation, just ignored and shoved in an unheated shed at night”.

One video clip captured heartbreaking footage of the dog cowed, terrified and keeping her distance when Stacey Simpson came out of the house.

We understand that in late December 2022 the dog ‘disappeared’ overnight but no details are available.

Sadly, within days, the Simpsons’ neighbours heard the familiar howls of a distressed dog coming from the couple’s squalid garden. The new dog – breed as yet unknown – is being kept in the unheated barren shed 24/7 such is the Simpsons’ paranoia that this one will also “disappear”. More to come on this.

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Update 18 January 2023

A public demonstration is to be held outside the offices of West Kent Housing Association at 11:30am on Friday 27 January 2023 . Its purpose is to protest against the organisation’s failure to take any meaningful action against serial dog abusers and alleged backyard breeders Tom and Stacey Simpson.

Local news website Kent Live, who also wrote about the couple’s ‘alleged’ mistreatment of four Jack Russells back in July 2022, published a follow-up article on 18 January 2023, which you can read here.

Concerns are growing over an ongoing situation involving a dog who has not yet been seen because she is never allowed outside of the unheated narrow shed where she’s kept 24/7.

One resident told Kent Live’s reporter: “There are no windows in the shed. You can hear the dog just distressed and crying. All I can picture is this poor dog being denied everything but food.”

Another said: “This poor dog is keeping people awake at night. Dogs are pack animals. They are sociable animals. They are in a dark shed.”

One protestor said they had called the RSPCA “about half a dozen times” and had a “conversation at length” with the charity last week but felt “frustrated”. They had also been in touch with West Kent Housing Association and claimed they had no response.

The protest group has again called on West Kent Housing Association, the RSPCA and the dog warden at Sevenoaks District Council to take action.

West Kent Housing Association said in a statement it was aware of “the ongoing concerns about the welfare of dogs in one of our homes” and continued to treat the matter as a “priority”.

Sevenoaks District Council, which employs a dog warden, said: “We investigate all cases of animal cruelty associated with domestic pets that are reported to us. If we find a breach of the legal welfare standards, we would always take appropriate action alongside other organisations that we work with.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We are very grateful to people who report suspected animal welfare concerns to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare.

“A lot of the time issues will be dealt with by our officers through advice and education. Our monitoring of this dog, and liaison with other authorities, suggests the animal’s needs are being catered for as per the Animal Welfare Act.

“As ever, if anyone has animal welfare concerns they can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999. We also continue to work with partner agencies to ensure animal welfare.

“Generally, while conditions may be regarded by many animal lovers and the RSPCA as being inappropriate, they are not necessarily illegal. This is often crucial when considering when the RSPCA can legally intervene or take action.”

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Have you bought an animal from Tom and Stacey Simpson?

We would like to hear from anyone that has ever bought a pet from the Simpson or their extended family. Screenshots of any pet selling ads they may have placed on sites like Gumtree, Pets4Homes and Freeads would also be of interest. Contact us via our contact form or by email to contact@ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org..

We will update this article with any news and updates if they arise.