Farmer fined over 'standstill' rule

The case came after a Limousin heifer was moved

The first farmer in Cumbria has been prosecuted by trading standards for breaching the 20-day rule on animal movements.

Raymond Crawford, from Selside near Kendal, was fined £500 with £300 costs by magistrates in Kendal on Monday.

The "standstill rule" prevents farmers moving any animals for 20 days after new livestock arrives on their land, and was introduced in the wake of 2001's foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Mr Crawford denied moving a single animal twice within the 20 day period in March 2001, but was found guilty.

Kendal magistrates were told a black Limousin heifer belonging to Mr Crawford had been seen at Kendal auction mart, and then taken to another market, within a 20-day period.

The court heard that while at Kendal he had been told to take the animal back to one of his two farms because it did not have the right cattle passport.

He said the beast had then been taken to the second market at Kirkby Stephen by mistake when a worker had misunderstood an instruction.