Hundreds of tonnes of condemned poultry, fit only for pet food, was sold for human consumption in a nationwide fraud netting millions of pounds, a court heard last week. A sophisticated distribution network sold heavily disguised pet food to butchers, market traders, restaurants, takeaways and supermarkets, Hull Crown Court was told. Ben Nolan, prosecuting, said: "The risk to public health from food poisoning organisms has been unquantifiable." He said the scam, which operated between 1993 and 1996, had serious food safety implications. He added: "The Crown alleges the defendants devised and operated a system for selling meat ­ in the main poultry meat ­ as wholesome and edible when, in truth, it was condemned meat which was fit only for pet food." Seven defendants deny conspiracy to defraud businesses by selling poultry meat not fit for human consumption. They are: Clive Boid, 55, his son Andrew Boid, 33, Darren Bibby, 29, all from the Worksop area of Nottinghamshire, Peter Tantram, 47, and his wife Louise, 45, of Ingham, Lincolnshire, Kevin Wilson, 39, of Cleethorpes, north Lincolnshire and Timothy Powell, 38, of Hove, East Sussex. Clive and Andrew Boid, along with Bibby, were bosses at Newark-based Wells By-products, which processed poultry meat for pet food. The company's main customers were pet food giants Spillers and Pedigree. The court heard that Wells bought huge quantities of condemned birds which were packaged ostensibly as pet food and invoiced to Lincolnshire-based Cliff Top Pet Foods. Cliff Top ­ which was run by Peter and Louise Tantram ­ cleaned the meat before it was passed to another man, not on trial, who allegedly helped change the product's identity from pet food before it was moved on again. The jury was told that Wilson and Powell, both food brokers, helped sell the food on. Clive and Andrew Boid and the Tantrams also deny conspiracy to sell to Pedigree meat of pet food grade falsely represented as human food quality. The trial continues. {{NEWS }}