Animal Equality, a leading international animal protection organisation, today released shocking scenes of animal abuse filmed on Fir Tree pig farm in Lincolnshire, which is owned by Elsham Linc – one of Britain’s largest pig producers.

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The investigation, which came on the back of an anonymous tip-off and has been passed to the RSPCA, revealed serious and repeated violent abuse of the animals by several members of staff, including:

•    Kicking pigs in the face and head, often violently and repeatedly, with over 100 incidents of kicking recorded  in 10 days
•    Jabbing pigs repeatedly with pitchforks
•    Transporting an injured pig in the bucket of a tractor and hitting it repeatedly (by kicking and with a gate) when it couldn’t move into a pen
•    Spraying marker paint directly up a pig’s nose
•    Slamming gates on pigs’ heads
•    Hitting pigs in the face and head with heavy plastic boards (pig boards)
•    Workers laughing about the abuse and swearing at pigs
•    Leaving a ‘downed’ pig without veterinary care for 48 hours before shooting it

“While intensive pig farms are inherently pitiless places, the brutality inflicted on these poor pigs is incomprehensible. The workers show complete contempt for the animals in their care and seem immune to their suffering, even when the pigs scream in pain. We demand that they be brought to justice,” said Dr Toni Shephard, Animal Equality’s UK Director.

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Dr Shephard added: “Consumers can help end this cruelty by trying the increasing variety of plant-based foods available in shops and restaurants - which are often healthier than meat as well as cruelty-free.”

Animal Equality investigators made multiple visits to Fir Tree Farm – which holds 10,000 pigs – between 1^st- 27^th April, 2018, and placed hidden cameras in the buildings where violence had been reported. They also documented dozens of pigs with severe tail biting wounds, some critically infected, as well as many heavily scarred pigs and several with hernias.

The NPA has also issued a statement in response to the Sky News footage released today.

The footage, which will be shown throughout today (23rd), was taken in April via a number of cameras left on the farm. When the business became aware of the footage, it initiated an immediate investigation and subsequently the four staff involved in the video footage have had their employment terminated.

In a statement given to Sky News, the NPA said: “The NPA does not tolerate or condone violence or cruelty towards animals in any way; we are clear that the actions of the individuals depicted in the footage are indefensible and should be treated accordingly.

“Such behaviour is abhorrent to all pig farmers and the business involved, which has acted responsibly and immediately by terminating employment of the members of staff following a thorough investigation and is cooperating fully with the authorities.

“The NPA will take the lead in investigating what further measures can be put in place to prevent any similar incidents from occurring on British pig farms.”

The Godfrey family, who own the farm, along with the company Elsham Linc LTD, told Sky News: "We are shocked by the actions of those involved as their abhorrent behaviour does not represent our business. We are a family run farm where the care and welfare of our pigs is paramount.

"We have been able to identify the four individuals in the film and following an immediate investigation their employment has been terminated."

This is the third time that Animal Equality has filmed workers violently abusing animals on British farms. In 2016 a worker on Pyrland dairy farm in Somerset was filmed slamming newborn calves to the floor and kicking cows in the face just hours after they had given birth. He pled guilty to two cruelty charges in April 2017. In 2012 two workers were filmed beating piglets to death with a metal bar on Harling Farm in Norfolk. Both men pled guilty to cruelty charges and one was sent to prison for 18 weeks.