AN investigation has been launched after allegations of animal cruelty at a Wrexham slaughterhouse were logged.

Animal Aid investigators made the claims that ‘hidden animal suffering’ was uncovered at Farmers Fresh, a lamb slaughterhouse based in Wrexham.

The group have made the four sets of film they obtained on visits to the facility between March 26th and June 3rd of this year public.

Claims made by the group include “a worker failing to properly stun a sheep, who surged forwards onto the cutting table. Two workers pinned her down, and whilst she appeared fully conscious, her throat was cut".

The Leader:

[Images provided by Animal Aid]

Other issues raised by the footage include allegations of a stun-man at the facility who “roughly picks up a sheep and hurls her down the slaughter conveyer line, whilst shouting. Another worker grabs sheep by their throats or fleeces and throws them backwards into the conveyer, often with an audible crash.”

Tor Bailey, an Animal Aid campaign manager, said: “Without our covert cameras in place, this horrendous situation may have continued, unchecked for some time. We're calling on the Welsh Government to introduce independently monitored mandatory CCTV without delay across Wales.”

The Animal Aid group say that this footage challenges earlier claims by the Welsh Government of there not being evidence of serious legal breaches nor cruelty inside Welsh slaughterhouses, which has led them to deny the need for mandatory CCTV as a necessary safeguard.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We take animal welfare at slaughterhouses very seriously. As a criminal investigation is underway, we are unable to comment further at this stage."

Footage received from Animal Aid has been reviewed by a team of authorised officers at the Food Standards Agency as part of their investigation.

A Food Standards Agency spokesman said: “The Food Standards Agency takes animal welfare at slaughterhouses very seriously and a criminal investigation is underway.

“We took swift action to increase our presence at Farmer Fresh in Wrexham and to introduce additional checks and ensure animal welfare was being protected. We are unable to comment further while the investigation is ongoing.”

Farmers Fresh declined to comment.