Protest over cruelty allegations at abattoir

Protesters have called for an abattoir to be shut down, after covert footage filmed by an activist showed treatment of sheep which slaughterhouse bosses described as "shocking and disturbing".

Three staff members were sacked after the footage of T&S Abattoir in Arley, Warwickshire, was released, managers said.

Protesters gathered at the site on Wednesday.

Management at T&S Abattoir Ltd, a halal meat supplier, said it had since taken steps "to ensure that there can be no breaches of animal welfare on our site".

The footage, allegedly filmed in July, was released by animal activist Joey Carbstrong.

He told the BBC the material showed "extreme rough handling" of sheep, including hitting and dragging, as well as sheep being slaughtered in front of each other.

One local resident who was at the protest told the BBC: "We're just not getting anywhere and we're at the point now, it's got to close. It's got to close.

"You cannot tolerate the abuse that we've seen in those videos.

"It is the most horrific thing I think I've ever seen in my life and it should not be allowed to continue."

Mr Carbstrong also said many animals were displaying signs of "likely consciousness" after having their throats cut, including while some were being "dismembered".

Addressing this, T&S Abattoir Limited said: "With regards to specific allegations, we are assisting the relevant authorities who are in the best position to investigate these further.

"We have taken the necessary action to immediately terminate the contracts of the individuals thought to be involved. We continue to support the relevant authorities with their enquiries.

"We have also taken steps to improve monitoring, added more CCTV cameras which cover previous blind spots, retrained current staff to ensure that they work in line with our animal welfare policies and have taken on more experienced management."

Several residents also spoke about the "massive" impact of the abattoir on the village of Arley, saying they had been "plagued" by "foul odours" and flies.

One resident said rotting animal remains were being left on the site.

"The noise of the animals - I can't tell you how distressing it is, [so] we've had a suspicion all along," they said.

She also claimed that it was difficult to sell a house in the area, with three members of the community trying "with no success".

"People find out about it and they just don't want to know. You can't even move," she said.

Residents said the protest group included about 300 people, and that they would continue to "fight".

Addressing complaints about smell, flies, and animal remains, management at the abattoir told the BBC: "Since we started operations on the site in April 2024, which has been an abattoir for over 120 years, all we have had is abuse and harassment.

"It is difficult enough starting a new venture, but rather than having the time to focus on operations, we have had to contend with false allegation after false allegation.

"We are a small family business who are trying to earn an honest living and every step of the way we have been harassed by some members of the local community who have tried to intimidate us into leaving the site, including an arson attack on two of my vehicles parked on the forecourt.

"This in no way an attempt to justify the allegations [of animal cruelty] as we are as disgusted as anyone else would be."

Abattoir bosses said they were working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and assisting with enquiries.

Speaking about the footage, Det Ch Insp David Andrews from Warwickshire Police said the force had visited the abattoir on 3 March and was working with the Home Office and the Food Standards Agency to take appropriate action.

He said: "We can confirm that we have recorded a suspected offence of unnecessary suffering to a protected animal under animal welfare legislation.

"While this investigation into animal welfare is under way, we cannot go into further detail about the case so that we do not jeopardise any future proceedings."

An FSA spokesperson said: "We are taking this issue very seriously.

"We have already taken action to suspend several individuals from handling live animals and have increased onsite presence during all slaughter operations whilst we look into these allegations further.

"We will not hesitate to take more action as we have a zero-tolerance approach to animal welfare breaches."

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