Animal Health Officers have been involved with Mr Metcalfe since 2021, with concerns about high mortality and failures to remove carcasses following in 2024
Beverley Magistrates’ Court(Image: East Riding Of Yorkshire Council)
An East Riding farmer has been banned from keeping, owning or transporting sheep over welfare concerns. Malcolm Metcalfe, 64, now of Sledgate Garth, Rillington appeared for sentencing at Beverley Magistrates Court in relation to eight animal health and welfare offences, having pleaded guilty during an earlier hearing in December.
The court heard how East Riding of Yorkshire Council Animal Health Officers have been involved with Mr Metcalfe since 2021. On Sunday, July 8 2024, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) alerted East Riding of Yorkshire Council of reports of dead sheep on land at Hutton.
Information issued by the council following the hearing explained that visits by Council Animal Health Officers and APHA inspectors between Tuesday 9 July and Tuesday 3 September 2024 revealed ongoing failures to remove sheep carcasses, repeated findings of decomposing remains, recumbent sheep, and inadequate access to water.
On Wednesday 12 July 2024, an Animal By‑Product (ABP) disposal notice was served requiring Mr Metcalfe to remove all carcasses. Further notices under the Animal Welfare Act were issued on Friday 19 July 2024, including a requirement to obtain veterinary investigation into high mortality within the flock and to increase the frequency of stock inspections.
Despite these notices, further visits continued to identify carcasses and welfare concerns. A post‑mortem examination on one lamb found severe parasitic gastroenteritis, with the examining vet noting that a “competent stockkeeper should have recognised and acted upon the condition sooner.”
Checks undertaken during the investigation also identified multiple unconfirmed sheep movements recorded on the national database. The council said that in mitigation, Mr Metcalfe’s barrister informed the court of his sorrow for these matters, explaining they were out of character and linked to his health.
She added sheep farming is all he has known and remains his only source of income, but he now recognises he is no longer able to keep sheep, and all the sheep now belong to his sister. In sentencing, the magistrates stated that the offences had shown prolonged and repeated incidents of cruelty and the ill-treatment of animals in a commercial context, so had passed the custody threshold.
They explained that they had taken some time in deciding how to deal with this matter, as they wanted to try and prevent any future offending. Mr Metcalfe was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment, suspended for the maximum period of 24 months.
He was also disqualified from owning, keeping, transporting, participating in the keeping, and being party to an arrangement under which he is entitled to control or influence the way in which sheep are kept, for a period of five years. He was also ordered to pay £1778.01 in costs and £154.00 for the suspended sentence order.
Councillor Lyn Healing, East Riding of Yorkshire Council cabinet member for communities and public protection said: “Everyone responsible for keeping livestock must uphold the highest standards without exception. Anything less puts animal welfare and public health at risk and undermines the integrity of the livestock sector.”
“Our Animal Health Officers will rigorously investigate incidents of this kind, and East Riding of Yorkshire Council will not hesitate to take formal enforcement action wherever it is required.”
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