A North Yorkshire farm is at the centre of an animal cruelty investigation after undercover footage showed cows being beaten and kicked by workers.
An investigation was carried out by animal welfare group Animal Justice Project (AJP) at Lowfields Farm, at Brompton, near Northallerton.
The farm which has more than 2,000 dairy cows supplies milk to Arla – the largest producer of dairy products in the UK.
Undercover footage obtained by the welfare group showed cows being kicked, punched and struck with pipes.
Calves were also shown being slapped after being separated from their mothers, while dead calves were left in view of other cows.
Footage also showed blood dripping from a calf’s head and a cow bleeding while being milked.
The campaign group said many cows had swollen udders, which they said indicated infection.
The campaign group also claims the cows were kept in sheds housing nearly double the intended number of animals.
“This investigation exposes not only the shocking cruelty inflicted on cows and calves at this Arla farm – marketed as a leader in UK dairy – but also the brutal, hidden reality these animals face daily in milk production”, said Claire Palmer, director of Animal Justice Project.
“Crucially, this was not the misconduct of a single worker; abuse was systemic, involving all staff, including the farm manager.
“This indicates that mistreatment was not only routine but also tolerated and ingrained within the farm’s operations, raising serious concerns about Arla’s standards and oversight.
“We demand legal action and corporate accountability from supermarkets and brands profiting from this cruelty.”
Arla has suspended the farmer as a result of the investigation.
A spokesperson for Arla, which is handling media for the farm, said: “Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach.
“We take any matters relating to this extremely seriously. The actions that are shown in this footage are completely unacceptable and do not meet the high standards that we expect from our farmers.
“The individuals in the video are no longer employed at the farm however, Arla has taken the decision to suspend the farmer whilst we investigate this further.
“While the investigation is still ongoing, we have already put a number of measures in place alongside independent auditors and external standards organisations.”
North Yorkshire Council is also investigating the farm.
North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said: “We are carrying out an investigation about alleged serious animal mistreatment at Lowfields Farm in Northallerton.
“As this is a live case, we are unable to comment further at this stage. We take all allegations seriously and will not hesitate to take action.”
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