£750 fine for poor records
£750 fine for poor records
FAILURE to identify cattle and keep adequate records landed livestock farmer Timothy Smith with a fine of £750 plus £430 costs after he pleaded guilty at Hereford magistrates court last week.
The court heard that when trading standards officers visited Mr Smith, Townsend Cottage, Byford, near Hereford, in June, a number of his young cattle were without ear tags.
Mr Smith was unable to produce cattle birth records or passports for the animals, breaking the Bovine Animals Order 1995 and the Cattle Passports Order 1996.
Mike Higgins, Hereford and Worcester trading standards officer, said the need for traceability was paramount. "In order to restore credibility to the UK beef industry it is vital that everybody makes every effort to ensure that traceability of their animals is maintained."