A WYESIDE farmer has been banned from keeping livestock for 10 years after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a lamb, failing to dispose of sheep carcasses and animal movement records offences.

Shaun Saunders, 61, of Broadmeads, Coleford Road, Bream, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday, March 17, following a prosecution brought by Gloucestershire County Council’s trading standards.

The offences related to a field at Stowfield, Lower Lydbrook, where a member of the public reported concerns about the condition of a lamb and carcasses, and a trading standards officer and a vet from the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) both visited the site.

They found a lamb that was so badly affected by flystrike that it died before the vet had time to euthanise it to prevent further suffering.

The lamb had clearly been affected by flystrike for several days without treatment.

The officer also found two carcasses and several thin lambs, which were later treated by the farmer’s own vet.

It transpired that the farmer had gone away for several days and the flock had not been inspected at sufficient periods to ensure its welfare.

Saunders also failed to apply for a temporary land association to keep the animals there and failed to notify livestock movements, after receiving previous advice on these requirements several times previously.

Cllr Dave Norman, cabinet member for trading standards at Gloucestershire Council, said: “The farmer in this case had received advice on numerous occasions on welfare, livestock movement rules and record keeping over several years and continued to ignore the advice given.

“Due to the seriousness of the welfare case and the continued failure to follow the advice given, the decision to prosecute was appropriate.

“Our officers will continue to monitor animal welfare issues and ensure that the rules in place to help prevent the spread of animal disease are adhered to.”