Farmers' market chief fined for cruelty to animals

Colin Chambers, who sells meat at markets throughout the East Riding under the Black Sheep Meat Company banner, and his wife Katherine were fined 21,000 and banned from keeping animals for five years.

The Humber Bridge Board said they were cancelling the next Humber Bridge farmers' market which Chambers ran, and would be seeking a new manager.

Inspectors found dead and dying animals during visits to Rotsea Carr farm and land rented by the Chambers at Rudston and several animals had to be put down on the spot to end their suffering. On one visit a pile of dead cows was discovered, including one which had died during calving; on another a live sheep was found on top of a pile of dead ones.

Cattle and sheep were also housed in "unsuitable" conditions and without feed and water, while game was being prepared in a filthy plucking room, littered with blood, dirt, dust, feathers and wings.

The alarm was raised after a tip-off from a member of the public in November 2008.

District Judge Stephen Earl at Beverley Magistrates' Court said: "I have given serious thought as to whether it would be appropriate to put you out of business completely.

"Nothing heard indicates the public has already been harmed but that does not mean that they might not have been in future.Had it continued along the downward spiral, that is what might be expected."

Patricia Walker, defending, told the court the Chambers' business had racked up debts of almost 1m. She said that as a result of falling milk prices and the 2007 floods Chambers was too depressed to go near his animals.

Yesterday the Humber Bridge Board said Chambers was being removed from his unpaid post: "Following revelations about poor animal welfare and food hygiene, the Humber Bridge Board has removed Colin Chambers from his position as Humber Bridge Farmers' Market organiser with immediate effect.

"The upcoming farmers' market scheduled for March 7 has been cancelled, but will return in April when new management and further safeguards on the quality of produce and stallholders have been put in place."

The business manager for the bridge board, Neil Marshall, said: "The Chambers case came as a complete shock to us, and we can only apologise to the many visitors who come to the market with high expectations on the quality of food and the welfare of the animals.

"We have already begun a complete review of our screening process for stallholders to ensure that this does not happen again, and can only advise visitors that the conditions found at the Chambers' farm bear no relation to the welfare and quality standards held by any of the other stallholders."

Chambers pleaded guilty to 12 offences relating to animal welfare, food hygiene and failing to dispose of carcasses. His wife admitted 14 similar offences. Both were given two-year conditional discharges.

Their son Mark Chambers was given a two-year conditional discharge after being found guilty of eight offences of failing to dispose of carcasses.