Two Hillsborough farms at centre of animal welfare investigations

In the first case personnel from the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) and officers of the PSNI visited a farm last Friday following information received from a member of the public.

A spokesperson for the USPCA said one cow had to be destroyed and a number of carcasses were revealed during the visit. Other animals received veterinary treatment.

Stephen Philpott of the USPCA said they were recommending a prosecution.

"The conditions found on the farm will be reported to DARD and other responsible statutory agencies" he said.

In the second case on Wednesday David Wilson from the USPCA said they had uncovered "a significant number of livestock carcases" at another farm.

He added they were "assessing the condition of other surviving animals".

Speaking on Monday about the first incident, Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew confirmed that the case involved dairy animals and one dairy cow was subsequently destroyed.

"Animal welfare is a very important issue and my department takes all reports seriously," she added. "We are aware of the situation; we visited the premises on Saturday to make an initial assessment of the situation and a follow-up visit is scheduled. "Several concerns were identified at the initial visit and actions were taken at the time. The follow-up visit will reassess the situation and decide what further action is necessary."

Ms Gildernew said she was grateful to the USPCA for alerting the department to the situation. "We want to ensure these kinds of scenarios are a thing of the past," she added.

USPCA spokesperson David Wilson encouraged members of the public to continue to keep vigilant and report any suspected cases of cruelty or neglect to police immediately.

"If anyone has any concerns, they should contact their local PSNI and we will strive to work together with police officers to keep this subject at the forefront of public awareness," he added.