Slaughterhouse pair face prison

A father and son may be sent to jail after being convicted of running an illegal slaughterhouse.

Harold Gray and his son Michael allowed sheep to be killed at their Upper Austby farm in Langbar, near Ilkley, Harrogate Magistrates' Court heard.

They also pleaded guilty to three charges of animal cruelty, as did their slaughterman Sumaullah Patel of Bolton.

District Judge Roy Anderson said they were serious matters and that prison was an option.

The pair denied a charge of running an unlicensed slaughterhouse on the farm.

Open sewer

The court heard conditions at the Upper Austby farm and slaughterhouse were exposed when animal welfare activists secretly filmed sheep being killed, using Muslim-style slaughter techniques, in 2003.

It was told the slaughterhouse had an open sewer running through the middle of it with human faeces present, a chopping block was covered in bird droppings, meat had maggots in it and meat hooks were rusty.

Meat from the slaughterhouse was delivered to shops in Bradford and Keighley.

These two gentlemen have no regard for animal welfare and human health. They are only interested in profit. Graham Venn, head of North Yorkshire Trading Standards

The video was given to North Yorkshire Trading Standards which raided the farm a month later accompanied by staff from the police and government officials.

The Grays also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Mr Patel, of Sunningdale Road, Bolton.

They also admitted 11 offences of contravening the post-BSE protection regulations, failing to dispose properly of high-risk material and breaching rules on cattle movements, passports and records.

They claimed trading standards had known of their activities for 15 years and had been told they did not need a licence.

The court was told Harold Gray had a string of previous convictions for animal cruelty.

All three were bailed to appear at Harrogate Magistrates Court on 23 March.

After the case had been heard Graham Venn, head of trading standards at North Yorkshire County Council, said: "These two gentlemen have no regard for animal welfare and human health.

"They are only interested in profit."