Farmers left newborns to live in squalor

Farmers who left dead animals in pens and left others starving have walked free from court.

Charles Gibson, 51, and Alison Bailey, 44, ‘neglected’ their livestock and forced animals to live in terrible conditions on their Biddulph farm.

Director Martin Wheelton, 55, of Millend Farm, Harbour Lane, Macclesfield, represented the farm – which was fined £32,000 and ordered to pay £7,500 costs after admitting cattle identification and movement offences.

The case – which involved ‘vulnerable’ newborn animals – has since been described as ‘one of the worst’ of its kind. Both farmers have now been banned for life from keeping animals.

Magistrates heard how the pair were prosecuted following an investigation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Inspectors from the APHA and officers from Staffordshire County Council’s trading standards animals health team visited Leonards Farm, in Biddulph Moor, in May 2020.

Livestock, including young calves, were found in ‘extremely poor conditions’, while dead animals were found in the same pens as live animals. There were pens ‘unsuitable’ for livestock, with animals given little food, water or dry lying.

Multiple sick calves were also found. Inspectors discovered untagged calves which meant farmers had failed to comply with the traceability requirements for bovine animals, the APHA said.

Further visits were carried out during 2020 and 2021, the court heard on October 17. Gibson was handed a 20-week sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was ordered to carry 200 hours unpaid work, pay a £4,000 fine and a £128 victim surcharge. Bailey was given a community order with 80 hours unpaid work.

She was ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £90 victim surcharge. It came after both farmers, of Leonards Farm, Hot Lane, Biddulph Moor, admitted multiple animal welfare offences.

The court heard Wheelton Farms Ltd were complicit in the failure to comply with the traceability requirements for bovine animals due to the ‘low value untagged calves’ found at the farm.