Farmer must pay £34k for flouting TB cattle rules

A Staffordshire livestock owner has been ordered to pay more than £34,000 for flouting cattle movement restrictions that aim to prevent the spread of bovine TB.

Mark Pickford, 54, of Kniveden Farm, in Leek, pleaded guilty to five offences under Cattle Identification Regulations and two under Tuberculosis (England) Order 2007.

He was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court this week and a judge ordered him to pay a fine of £14,332 and £20,000 costs.

See also: Current UK TB rules – and what’s coming next

The court heard that more than 150 cattle were illegally moved on to land farmed by JD Pickford and Sons in the Staffordshire Moorlands – while restrictions on the herd were in place due to it being infected with TB.

The offences took place between March 2014 and May 2015 despite concerns being raised by Staffordshire County Council, and reminders being sent about the movement restrictions.

Bovine TB was first detected on the farm in December 2009 and cattle were only allowed to be moved off the premises if special licences were approved.

In addition, Mr Pickford failed to register the deaths of 197 cattle to Defra within seven days – a legal requirement under the same regulations.

He had also given incorrect information while applying for 14 cattle passports between July 2010 and June 2014 and used an identification tag that had already been used on another animal.

In mitigation, Mr Pickford’s lawyer described him as a “hardworking farmer desperate to run his business successfully”, the Stoke Sentinel reported.

‘A disregard for legislation’

Sentencing him, Judge Richard Bond told Mr Pickford: “You have demonstrated a disregard for the legislation. You had been told by the authorities not to do it.

“You were putting profit above animal welfare. This was a milking herd and you needed a certain amount of cattle at your farm to provide a certain amount of milk.

“Farmers have a huge degree of responsibility to ensure they comply with regulations. You ran roughshod.”

Speaking after the case, county council leader Philip Atkins said Mr Pickford’s actions were “likely to have contributed to the duration and magnitude of this TB breakdown at a significant cost to the taxpayer”.

He added: “[Mr Pickford] increased risks to other livestock keepers and wildlife by ignoring important TB controls.”