Latest news with #AnimalJusticeProject
Daily Mail
28-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pork producer Cranswick sacks four workers in animal cruelty probe at one of its pig farms
Cranswick has sacked four workers after alleged animal cruelty was exposed at one of its pig farms. The pork producer said a wider review into its operations is 'well advanced' after The Mail on Sunday revealed that workers in Lincolnshire had been killing piglets by smashing them against floors and walls. Supermarkets have started selling pork from this farm again after suspending supplies when the shocking images caused the business to halt operations at its Northmoor Farm in May. Cranswick said four employees were let go and one person was 'fully retrained in appropriate welfare procedures'. Investors yesterday handed the company a bloody nose over payment for bosses after chief executive Adam Couch was handed £4.6million. Couch said there would be another update on the review into animal welfare policies 'in due course'. The group has also hired five welfare officers and said that external audits have since not identified any problems. In May, secret recordings obtained by The Mail on Sunday showed images of botched killings and piglets being beaten and kicked. The footage at the farm was filmed over several weeks last year by an undercover investigator for the animal rights organisation Animal Justice Project. Cranswick suspended staff at Northmoor and ordered an investigation. Supermarkets including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco halted supplies from the farm. Cranswick said that sales increased 9.7 per cent over the 13 weeks to June 28, thanks to boosting exports and buying sausage maker Blakemans. But 30.79 per cent of shareholders voted against the group's remuneration report in a protest at its annual general meeting. Couch's total pay jumped from £3.4million in 2023-24 to £4.6million last year. In its annual report, the group justified the pay rise, citing 'a competitive market for talent'. Shares fell 1.5 per cent, or 80p, to 5240p yesterday.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Secret cameraman claims 'brutality' at pig farm
An investigator who posed as a labourer to secretly film on a pig farm has described what he witnessed as shocking and brutal. The footage recorded for the Animal Justice Project (AJP) over "several weeks" at Northmoor Farm, Lincolnshire, appears to show "piglet thumping", a banned method of killing animals. Cranswick, which owns the farm near Market Rasen, said the footage was unacceptable and it had launched an independent review into its procedures. Lincolnshire Trading Standards told the BBC it was continuing to work with Lincolnshire Police following the allegations of cruelty. Speaking to the BBC's Politics North programme, the animal rights investigator said he applied for the job through a normal recruitment process. While filming covertly for AJP, he said he witnessed "brutality at every single part of that process". He claimed he saw regular "piglet thumping", a banned method of killing that involves holding a piglet by its hind legs and slamming it to the ground. He also claimed workers were "desensitised" to the "sickening sound" of the piglets hitting the floor. The investigator told the BBC he did not try to stop the actions of other workers. A section of the footage, first reported by the Mail on Sunday newspaper, shows a container piled with piglets that have allegedly been slammed. Some are still alive. The man said fellow workers failed to check if the piglets were dead, which "makes it worse". He said that although such actions were difficult to watch, what he witnessed had "strengthened" his resolve "to help animals". A spokesperson for Cranswick, which is based in East Yorkshire, said: "We were incredibly disappointed and saddened to see the unacceptable footage from Northmoor Farm. "As soon as we saw that footage we acted immediately. We suspended all of our employees and instigated a full investigation." They added the behaviour did not reflect current procedures or training. Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco all suspended use of the farm. AJP has lodged a legal complaint with trading standards, citing multiple breaches of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing regulations. Under the legislation, using blunt trauma to kill pigs is illegal in England. Lincolnshire Trading Standards said it was taking the incident "extremely seriously". A spokesperson said it had inspected the premises and was continuing to review footage, including some not currently in the public domain. A spokesperson for Red Tractor, the certified standards scheme, said: "The disregard for the care of animals shown in the footage does a disservice to an industry which works hard to uphold animal welfare requirements. "Red Tractor always acts immediately on reports of poor animal welfare and does not hesitate to sanction members where there is evidence of non-compliance with our standards." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Review launched after pig farm abuse claims Pig farm operations suspended over abuse claims
BBC News
25-05-2025
- BBC News
Secret cameraman claims of 'brutality' at Cranswick farm
An investigator who posed as a labourer to secretly film on a pig farm has described what he witnessed as shocking and footage recorded for the Animal Justice Project (AJP) over "several weeks" at Northmoor Farm, Lincolnshire, appears to show "piglet thumping", a banned method of killing which owns the farm near Market Rasen, said the footage was unacceptable and it had launched an independent review into its Trading Standards told the BBC it was continuing to work with Lincolnshire Police following the allegations of cruelty. Speaking to the BBC's Politics North programme, the animal rights investigator said he applied for the job through a normal recruitment filming covertly for AJP, he said he witnessed "brutality at every single part of that process".He claimed he saw regular "piglet thumping", a banned method of killing that involves holding a piglet by its hind legs and slamming it to the also claimed workers were "desensitised" to the "sickening sound" of the piglets hitting the floor. The investigator told the BBC he did not try to stop the actions of other workers.A section of the footage, first reported by the Mail on Sunday newspaper, shows a container piled with piglets that have allegedly been slammed. Some are still man said fellow workers failed to check if the piglets were dead, which "makes it worse".He said that although such actions were difficult to watch, what he witnessed had "strengthened" his resolve "to help animals".A spokesperson for Cranswick, which is based in East Yorkshire, said: "We were incredibly disappointed and saddened to see the unacceptable footage from Northmoor Farm. "As soon as we saw that footage we acted immediately. We suspended all of our employees and instigated a full investigation."They added the behaviour did not reflect current procedures or Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco all suspended use of the farm. AJP has lodged a legal complaint with trading standards, citing multiple breaches of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing the legislation, using blunt trauma to kill pigs is illegal in Trading Standards said it was taking the incident "extremely seriously".A spokesperson said it had inspected the premises and was continuing to review footage, including some not currently in the public domain.A spokesperson for Red Tractor, the certified standards scheme, said: "The disregard for the care of animals shown in the footage does a disservice to an industry which works hard to uphold animal welfare requirements. "Red Tractor always acts immediately on reports of poor animal welfare and does not hesitate to sanction members where there is evidence of non-compliance with our standards." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Cranswick launches independent review after pig cruelty claims
Cranswick will hold an independent review of its animal welfare policies and livestock operations in the UK after claims of animal cruelty at one of the supermarket food supplier's pig farms. Last week footage that appeared to show workers at one of Cranswick's farms in Lincolnshire abusing piglets was published by the Animal Justice Project (AJP), prompting the company to suspend use of the farm. According to AJP, 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'. In its preliminary results for 2025, Cranswick said it aimed to have the most stringent animal health and wellbeing standards in the sector. It added that it took seriously 'any
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Cranswick launches review after Lincolnshire pig farm abuse claim
The UK's largest pork supplier has launched an independent review into its animal welfare policies and livestock operations after claims staff were abusing piglets at a farm run by the based in Hessle in East Yorkshire, suspended using Northmoor Farm in Lincolnshire after covert footage, filmed by Animal Justice Project (AJP), appeared to show workers holding piglets by their hind legs and slamming them to the ground, using a banned method of killing the animals known as "piglet thumping".Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco suspended using the farm after the footage emerged last said it would not sell on any pigs that were based at the farm. In a statement, chief executive Adam Couch said the business was reviewing the welfare of its operations."We take seriously any instance, anywhere in our supply chain, where behaviour fails to meet those standards," he said."We are therefore instigating a new, fully independent, expert veterinarian review of all our existing animal welfare policies, together with a comprehensive review of our livestock operations across the UK."We will provide a further update on this work in due course."According to AJP, other footage appeared to show the botched killing of a sow that left the animal screaming. Another sow was also apparently shown being beaten with metal the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulation, using blunt trauma to kill pigs is illegal in founder, Claire Palmer, called for an "independent public inquiry into pig farming practices and regulatory failures". Announcement of the independent review came as Cranswick revealed revenues had grown by 6.8% to £2.72bn for the year to March, compared with the previous year, due to demand for its luxury products and record Christmas firm said fresh pork export revenues lifted by more than 10% after it benefited from the reinstatement of a contract with the company also revealed that pre-tax profits grew by 14.6% to £181.6m for the year. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
