On 13 May 2011 at Mold Magistrates’ Court, Flintshire County Council’s Trading Standards department successfully prosecuted a farmer and dealer of livestock for failing to have cattle tested for tuberculosis before they were moved to his farm from other farms.
The defendant, Graham Stabbins of Ddadau Farm, Ffordd Y Odyn, Treuddyn, Flintshire was convicted of one charge of moving a bovine from a third party farm to his own farm that had not been pre movement tested for tuberculosis. Mold Magistrates also took another six like offences into consideration.
Tim Dillon, solicitor, prosecuting on behalf of Flintshire Trading Standards, said officers at Trading Standards visited several farmers who had sold cattle to Mr Stabbins and it was believed at the time that the cattle would be going direct to slaughter, which is permitted under the regulations. However, this was not the case, as the cattle would then go direct to Mr Stabbin’s farm and at no time had Mr Stabbins enquired about the cattles’ tuberculosis status.
Mold Magistrates convicted Mr Stabbins and fined him £1,000 and ordered him to pay costs of £1,807.
A spokesman for the Council’s Public Protection Service said:
“Stopping the spread of Bovine TB is a high priority in Flintshire and across the whole of Wales. Any breach of TB controls will not be tolerated, whether by accident or by the thoughtless and reckless actions of a tiny minority of livestock owners.
“Legislation is in place that requires those who keep cattle to follow strict disease control rules to prevent the spread of disease. Breaches such as these put the Welsh herd and cattle across the UK as a whole at risk, along with the livelihoods of many of the farming community.
“The effects of this highly infectious respiratory disease in cattle include unnecessary suffering to infected animals, distress to the owner and an impact on their business, and significant cost to the public purse in dealing with the effects of the disease and payment of compensation to affected farmers.
“Flintshire County Council works in partnership with the agricultural industry, the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency, as well as other councils, to combat this disease and to help protect the majority of farmers who work with us, to ensure that all steps possible are taken to reduce the effects of this disease and to protect livestock and livelihoods.
“The Council’s public protection team takes its responsibility in this area very seriously and will not tolerate those who break the law. It is important that we all work together to protect what is an important part of our community and economy within Flintshire, making sure that it is a safe and prosperous place for residents and business.”
