Supermarkets suspend supplies from pig farm after animal cruelty reports
It comes after the Mail on Sunday reported that workers would routinely 'hit pigs with boards, paddles and their fists, deliberately targeting areas such as their snout and eyes'.
We were shocked by this footage, and we have immediately suspended the farm in question Tesco
The newspaper added that welfare checks often ignored 'visible injuries and suffering, with one inspection of 1,000 pigs lasting just 90 seconds', as well as 'multiple botched killings of lame piglets'.
Covert filming at the farm, which houses thousands of pigs, was carried out over a 10-month period by animal rights group Animal Justice Project.
It was reported that some of the 'most severe abuse' was inflicted on animals two weeks after the farm was audited by food chain assurance scheme Red Tractor.
Red Tractor said Somerby Top Farm's certification had been suspended with immediate effect following the 'deeply distressing' footage.
It added that it had referred the case to the Government's animal welfare regulator, the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We take animal welfare extremely seriously and expect all our suppliers to adhere to our high welfare standards.
'We were shocked by this footage, and we have immediately suspended the farm in question.
'Our specialist agriculture team is working with the supplier to carry out a full investigation.'
Asda said it had 'immediately suspended supply' from the farm after the supermarket was made aware of the claims.
In a statement, Red Tractor said: 'This footage is deeply distressing. Red Tractor is taking this clear breach of animal welfare standards extremely seriously.
'The farm's Red Tractor certification has been suspended with immediate effect and a full investigation is underway.
'Red Tractor is conducting a thorough review of both current and historical footage, compliance and staffing on the farm. The farm will remain unassured if Red Tractor is not satisfied our standards are met.
'It's important to note that this footage was taken between May 2024 and January 2025, with evidence and allegations only being presented to Red Tractor in August 2025.
'This delay is concerning and suggests that these activists have prioritised ideology over protecting animal welfare.
'Red Tractor provides a free anonymous whistle-blowing service and we actively encourage anyone with concerns to raise these so that we can investigate immediately.'
Cranswick's shares plummeted in May after UK supermarkets suspended supplies from another one of its farms that was linked to abuse against pigs.
Covert footage appeared to show workers at Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire abusing piglets.
Workers were filmed holding piglets by their hind legs and slamming them to the ground, using a banned method of killing the animals known as 'piglet thumping'.
Other footage showed the botched killing of a sow that left the animal screaming and writhing in pain. A sow was also shown being beaten with metal bars.
The footage was filmed by Animal Justice Project and first reported by the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
In an update on Northmoor Farm, Red Tractor said: 'Following the exposure of poor welfare practices in May, Red Tractor immediately suspended the farm's certificate.
'Following a full investigation, the farm's Red Tractor certificate was reinstated provided strict conditions are met. The farm is now subject to regular unannounced spot checks, was required to immediately retrain staff in animal welfare and must share regular regulatory reports with Red Tractor.
'The farm was also required to install CCTV, and that footage is regularly reviewed by independent welfare experts.
'These terms together with independent on-going scrutiny have been fully complied with since the reinstatement.
'In addition, Red Tractor conducted an unannounced welfare spot check on Northmoor Farm on Wednesday 13th August 2025, which did not find any issues relating to Red Tractor standards.'
Cranswick has been approached for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
42 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
The Gunmen of the Troubles: The Nutting Squad – who were the IRA's security team really loyal to?
Paddy 'PM' Monaghan has been reported as a British agent, making him the third senior member to be suspected of being a double agent. Its top tier also included the likes of Freddie Scappaticci and leader, John Joe Magee, who are both now believed to have been spies themselves. How did this group, who had access to some of the IRA's most guarded secrets become riddled with double agents? Presenter Kevin Doyle is joined by Allison Morris to look at the brutality of the 'Nutting Squad' and whether its senior ranks were loyal to the IRA or to the British. This podcast was first released in September 2023.
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
Jimmy Lai's son says his father will 'most likely die in jail' unless UK govt intervenes
The bustle still exists in Hong Kong, but its tone is not the same. A city once famous for its protest, now simply doesn't dare. Just a few years ago it would have been hard to imagine a court case as high-profile as that of Jimmy Lai without at least a handful of supporters and placards. But as closing arguments began in the trial of one of the city's most well-known pro-democracy figures, there was not a hint of dissent in sight. Now Lai's son, Sebastian, who advocates on his behalf, has said that the treatment of his father will have dire implications for Hong Kong"as a a financial centre", and has warned the British government (of which Lai is a citizen), that if it fails to act "my father is most likely going to die in jail". Jimmy Lai has been described as the most famous prisoner of conscience anywhere in the world. He is an iconic figure within Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and is one of the most high-profile people to be charged under Hong Kong's controversial national security law. The self-made millionaire, lifelong critic of Beijing, and the owner of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily is accused of colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious material. After a five-month adjournment, closing arguments in his trial will get under way in earnest this week. There is a sense here that authorities have found this trial a little tricky to resolve. How to handle an elderly man who some believe has become emblematic of a cause? How to balance significant international criticism with the city's desire to assure the world it is just, fair and back open for business? His family and lawyers believe this partly explains the multiple, lengthy adjournments. Lai's son, Sebastian, has spent years advocating for his father from London. He has not seen him in nearly five years. "The worst-case scenario is that he dies in prison," he says. It is a legitimate concern. Lai has spent over 1,600 days in solitary confinement. He is 77 years old and diabetic. Indeed, on Friday, the first day of the resumed court activity was taken up by discussions about his health and the court was then adjourned so he could be fitted with a heart rate monitor. "In Hong Kong, it's a concrete cell which gets up to 30, 40C and he bakes in there essentially," says Sebastian. "So we're incredibly worried about him, and all of this in the last four years was aimed to break him, to break his spirit." 'If he dies, that's a comma on Hong Kong' Sebastian insists his father's death would not just be a personal tragedy, but a huge problem for both the Hong Kong authorities and Beijing's government. "You can't tell the world you have the rule of law, the free press and all these values that are instrumental to a financial centre and still have my father in jail," he says. "And if he dies, that's it, that's a comma on Hong Kong as a financial centre." It's criticism that the authorities in Hong Kong are acutely aware of. Indeed, the government there has insisted in a statement that the city's "correctional facilities are humane and safe" and said that claims to the contrary are merely "external forces and anti-China media" working to "glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on the courts". But Lai is also a British citizen and there is a sense his family believes successive UK governments have failed in their duty to support him. Petitioning is a journey Sebastain describes as "heartbreaking". "It's time to put actions behind words," he says. "Without that, my father is most likely going to die in jail." It's criticism that the authorities in Hong Kong are acutely aware of, the regional government claimed in a statement that "external forces and anti-China media" are actively working to "distort the truth, blatantly discredit the judicial system, in an attempt to glorify criminal behaviour". Some believe the Lai trial is one of the final outstanding affairs in the wake of the crackdown on Hong Kong's huge 2019 pro-democracy protests, actions the Beijing-backed authorities say were necessary to restore order and stability. When you spend time in this city, it's hard not to conclude those efforts have been remarkably successful. Any signs of dissent are now extremely hard to track down. Tiny slogans graffitied in hidden places, a few independent bookstores still stocking political titles or young people choosing to not spend money in Hong Kong where possible is about as much as exists. Meanwhile, the mainland Mandarin language is more commonly heard in the streets and slogans and banners extolling causes favoured by Beijing are not hard to find. In today's Hong Kong, stances are staked in quiet acts of compassion, such as committed visits to friends behind bars. 'Don't ever second-guess Beijing' It's on one of these trips we accompany Emily Lau, a former Hong Kong lawmaker and pro-democracy supporter. "It's very important to show the people inside that they have not been forgotten," she explains, as she climbs into one of Hong Kong's iconic red taxis. "It's my way of showing my support." She is visiting Dr Helena Wong, a fellow member of the Democratic Party, and one of the so-called '47' - 47 activists tried together for conspiracy to commit subversion. Her key offence was standing in an unofficial primary election. Lau is upbeat as we chat, but also frank about the state of democracy in her city. "It's very difficult. Now it seems you cannot demonstrate, you cannot march, you cannot petition," she says. "And if you do post something online or some posts, you have to be very careful about what you say. "I will never say we are finished, no, but right now, of course, it's very difficult." We wait outside for her as she visits Dr Wong. She reports back that she's in good spirits and was happy to see her friend. Their political party is in the process of disbanding, like every other pro-democracy group. The pressure has simply become too much, and she fears this isn't the end. "Don't ever second-guess Beijing," she says. "Don't try." Indeed, the only political groups able to continue are those who at least tacitly support Beijing and its laws. 'Not as bad as people think' Ronnie Tong runs a think tank called Path of Democracy, which also sponsors people to run for office. He bills it as a moderate force, but in reality, it has supported the National Security Law and all measures used to crack down on protesters. "I don't think it is as bad as people think," he says. "The only thing they cannot say is to advocate succession or separatism." I ask if using the word 'democracy' in the group's title feels a little ironic, given his voice is likely only permitted insofar as it does not criticise Beijing. "No, I don't think so," he replies. "People have to understand that politics is also about personal relationships." That will likely not wash with many people here, but right now most feel they have no choice but to keep a low profile or move on. The Lai trial is only one small part of Hong Kong's story, but it's a reflection of the rapid change here and a snapshot of a city adjusting.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Iran 'is hunting British spies using leaked kill list' - with fears they will be captured and used as 'bargaining chips'
Iran is plotting with the Taliban to hunt down British agents using a leaked database that exposed details of MI6 spies and UK Special Forces. Officials from Iran's Revolutionary Guards flew to Kabul last week to ask Afghanistan 's warlords for 'access' to the bombshell list at the centre of a two-year super-injunction drama in the UK. Earlier this month it was reported that Iran had begun efforts to get their hands on the highly sensitive list 'so they can hunt down MI6 spies'. But now it is understood that four IRGC officials - who are said to have travelled to Afghanistan without involving Tehran's civilian government - intend to capture British spies and use them as 'bargaining chips' in negotiations with the West over the nation's controversial nuclear programme, The Telegraph reported. In return, the Taliban wish to be formally recognised by Iran as the official rulers of Afghanistan. A senior Iranian official said the list had been handed over by the Taliban, adding: 'They [the IRGC officials] want to find British spies before the 'snapback' to have something to pressure London behind closed doors.' The spectre of Iran's extremists and the brutal Taliban regime co-ordinating efforts to hunt down British agents has been causing 'concern' in Whitehall, the Daily Mail reported earlier this month. A vital database of Afghans and UK officials putting 100,000 people 'at risk of death'. A soldier escorts a family at Stansted in May as part of a government scheme costed at £7billion smuggling migrants to Britain after a data-leak blunder exposed by the Daily Mail When the Daily Mail discovered this data breach disaster in 2023, the Government secured a draconian court order to hush it up, triggering a 23-month battle in secret courts for open justice. Last month the Government finally abandoned its super-injunction and the public discovered ministers had secretly agreed a £7billion scheme, including a mass evacuation programme to rescue thousands of Afghans who had worked for British forces. Ministers ordered lawyers to gag the Daily Mail and others with a second High Court injunction, to prevent the media revealing how the lost list had included details of more than a hundred MI6 spies, Special Forces and other UK officials. The so-called 'kill list' contains the names of 25,000 Afghans who were applying to a UK scheme to give sanctuary to those who had worked on the frontlines with British forces. The Daily Mail has seen a copy of the full dataset lost by the British government, and it is understood it also includes details of more than 100 British officials including MI6, Special Forces and senior military commanders, as well as MPs. Many of these were included to help officials verify legitimate claims. Although codes are used, and the list does not specifically identify any spies or special forces, it could be a valuable dataset for an enemy. It is understood that several people whose names appear on the list have been arrested in recent days by Iranian border forces. Daily Mail journalists faced jail by order of a Penal Notice if they revealed the Government's secret - or even breathed a word about the existence of the draconian court order Many have been released soon after, with the 'focus' said to be on detaining 'British spies'. This week, Britain, France and Germany threatened Iran with a 'snapback' - the return of economic sanctions that were imposed before 2015 if nuclear talks did not begin again by the end of this month. In 2015 a deal was struck between Iran and Western powers to curb its nuclear enrichment program in return for a lifting of banking and trade sanctions. With this deal due to expire on October 18, the official added: 'The IRGC is doing everything it can to find bargaining chips for talks before the deadline.' Meanwhile a Taliban official told The Telegraph: 'Some argued that we should not do any favours for the Iranians given how badly they are treating our refugees there, but if they were willing to recognise the Islamic Emirate [of Afghanistan] in return, that would not be a bad deal.' The so-called 'kill list' was accidentally leaked in February 2022 when a British soldier emailed the complete file to Afghan contacts instead of sending a small extract. A Government spokesman said: 'It's a longstanding policy of successive governments to not comment on intelligence matters but this once again underlines how serious the original data breach was and why the previous government have serious questions to answer about how this was ever allowed to happen.'
