The DEFRA investigation into egg fraud took another turn on 16 March when West Mercia Police arrested and bailed without charge two Stonegate managers, based in Wiltshire, and a man from Bromsgrove on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Previously, as part of DEFRA’s formal investigation into the UK egg industry, three people in Bromsgrove were arrested and bailed over alleged breaches of egg marketing rules on October 18.  The two men and one woman, all in their forties, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud by incorrectly labelling eggs from caged hens as free-range.

A spokeswoman for West Mercia Police would not confirm the identity of the three people arrested in March, the names of the companies involved, or whether the three recent arrests were linked to the arrests made in October. 

All of the individuals arrested in October and March have been released without charge on bail until April 13.