Revealed: covert footage appears to show more alleged pig abuse at Cranswick farm

Footage, filmed between May 2024 and January 2025 by the Animal Justice Project, appears to show injured piglets being violently kicked across the floor by workers, while others are apparently hit with heavy boards, at Somerby Top Farm in North Lincolnshire.

An investigation, by the Mail on Sunday, found that some of the worst alleged abuse came just after the farm was audited by Red Tractor, the animal welfare quality assessor.

Veterinarian Dr Alice Brough said: “The extreme violence shown by workers towards sentient individuals is deeply concerning.

“One pig is left to be cannibalised over days until he dies - it is impossible that a competent worker could miss the blood, screaming, and visible distress.

“Cranswick’s claims of high welfare are utterly incompatible with what we see here.”

This comes just months after Cranswick suspended using nearby North Moor Farm after covert footage emerged appearing to show workers at the site abusing piglets.

At the time, major supermarkets Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco suspended Northmoor Farm as a supplier, and now the supermarkets have done the same with Somerby.

Last month, Cranswick gave an update on its review into its welfare practices, with chief executive Adam Couch saying: “We have further strengthened our animal welfare compliance practices and checks.”

The Hull-based company has been given priority access by the Government to the Mexican pork market through a new trade deal, despite the allegations.

A Cranswick spokesman said: “The health and welfare of our pigs is our highest priority and we were horrified to see this unacceptable historic footage, filmed at Somerby Top farm.

“As with the North Moor Farm footage, released in May 2025, the content was recorded several months ago but has only very recently been shared with us.

“We find the treatment of the pigs in the footage distressing to watch and we apologise unreservedly for this lapse in our standards. It does not in any way reflect the operating practices at our farms today.”

It added that the management teams have been changed at both Somerby Top and North Moor farms.

A Red Tractor spokesman told the Mail on Sunday that the farm’s certification had been suspended and a full investigation was under way.

They added: “The disregard of animal welfare standards in the footage does a disservice to an industry which works hard to uphold welfare requirements.”