A farmer who pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences has been banned from keeping livestock for 10 years following a prosecution by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards.
Luigi Di Caprio (68), of Harlton Close, Peterborough, kept livestock on land near the village of Farcet in Cambridgeshire. When Trading Standards visited, they found emaciated sheep and piglets being kept in unsuitable conditions. Di Caprio had also failed to ensure animals were tagged with identification numbers, making them impossible to trace in case of a disease outbreak.
Despite being issued with advice over the course of several visits by Trading Standards Officers, Di Caprio failed to improve the conditions in which the animals were being kept and continued to ignore legally required disease control measures.
At Peterborough Magistrates Court on 4 June, Di Caprio pleaded guilty to five offences contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006, Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 and The Sheep and Goats (records, Identification and Movement) (England) Order 2009. The Court imposed a 10-year ban from keeping animals (with the exception of pet dogs). Di Caprio was also given a fine of £354 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £142 plus costs of £1,910.
Peter Gell, Service Director of Regulatory Services at Cambridgeshire County Council, said “This case sends a clear message that we will not tolerate breaches of basic animal welfare standards in Peterborough, nor will we ignore flagrant breaches of animal disease control measures which are so vital to protect our rural economy.
“Local farmers and small holders work hard to comply with these requirements, and they deserve to be protected from those who flout these requirements.”
CTSI recently launched its ‘(Tackling) Animal Harm’ policy paper, which calls for reform of the Animal Welfare Act, including measures to ensure that farmers whose livestock has been confiscated by local authorities are unable to re-stock before their case goes to court.
