Abattoir meat

The halal abattoir at the centre of an animal welfare scandal earlier this year has gone into administration.

Bowood Farms, which was the subject of an Animal Aid exposé after hidden cameras revealed shocking abuse, called in administrators Leonard Curtis earlier this month.

A statement from Leonard Curtis said the company had ceased to trade and all employees had been made redundant.

“The Joint Administrators are actively seeking interested parties for the property and assets,” it added.

Undercover filming by Animal Aid showed animals at the abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, being kicked in the face, smashed into solid objects and picked up and hurled by their legs, throats and ears.

The footage was handed to the press in February 2015 and sparked public outrage, with calls for CCTV to be installed in all slaughterhouses.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) to launch an immediate investigation into the alleged abuse.

Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler said: “The lesson of Bowood, and the secret filming that Animal Aid has been undertaking since 2009, is that CCTV, with proper independent monitoring of footage, is an absolute priority for all UK slaughterhouses.

“The regulatory and political authorities have delayed for too long. The comprehensive evidence we have presented makes clear that cameras will have a significantly beneficial effect. There must be no further delay in requiring their mandatory installation.”