Copyright bbc
The allegations follow investigations into two other Lincolnshire pig farms run by Cranswick, one of the UK's largest pork producers. In May, the supplier suspended operations at Northmoor Farm near Market Rasen after footage emerged which appeared to show workers abusing piglets. In August, Somerby Top Farm, Barnetby, was hit by claims of animal cruelty, prompting supermarket chains Asda and Tesco to suspend meat supplies. Cranswick released a statement following the abuse claims at Somerby Top Farm. A spokesperson for the company said: "The health and welfare of our pigs is our highest priority and we were horrified to see this unacceptable [historical] footage." The spokesperson added: "We find the treatment of the pigs in the footage distressing to watch and we apologise unreservedly for this lapse in our standards. It does not in any way reflect the operating practices at our farms today. The firm said, since May, it has replaced managers, dismissed staff, hired welfare officers, retrained workers, and is installing AI enabled CCTV to improve animal care and oversight.
