Surrey farmers sound alarm after steer butchered

Warning: This article contains a graphic image that some readers may find disturbing

A beef and sheep farming family from Surrey are warning people to check where their meat comes from and for farmers to be extra vigilant after one of their steers was illegally slaughtered at a nature reserve.

John and Selina Tilley – who with their son, Oliver, farm at Moorlane Farm near Guildford – were alerted to the slaughtered animal on Saturday 17 May by a walker.

The walker made the shocking discovery at Riverside Nature Reserve in the early hours of the morning.

See also: Dorset farmers horrified after pig illegally butchered in field

The 500kg steer was butchered with various organs removed. The hocks had also been cut off, which the family had to retrieve from the nearby lake.

Mrs Tilley is warning the public to ensure they know where their meat comes from as the animal was under medicine withdrawal.

“We usually treat all our animals this time of year and they were on a 66-day retention period,” she said.

“That makes the meat unsuitable for human consumption and could make someone very ill.” 

© Selina Tilley

Police probe

Surrey Police were called to the scene, and investigations are ongoing.

Mrs Tilley said there were no gunshoot wounds found on the animal, but added that whoever did this “must have known what they were doing”.

“It looks like the animal was suffocated and the cuts are very clean with no mess left around it,” she added.

“It’s scary to think that people are capable of taking down a 500kg animal and are walking around with sharp knives like that.

“People love seeing the animals out in the nature reserve and I really hope this was an isolated incident.”

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Surrey Police on 111, quoting crime reference number 45250059342.