An animal-rights investigation has led to the suspension of a dairy farm supplying milk for Cathedral City cheese after secret footage showed workers violently attacking cows. The RSPCA condemned the behaviour as “completely unacceptable”.
Footage filmed at Polshea Farm in Bodmin, Cornwall, and Trevear Farm in Penzance showed workers jabbing cows with sharp objects, hitting them with metal brooms and plastic pipes, punching, slapping, kicking and twisting their tails. In some instances, rods were inserted into animals’ rectums to force them to stand.
Dairy Crest Limited, trading as Saputo Dairy UK, suspended Polshea Farm as a supplier for two weeks. The Red Tractor farming assurance scheme also suspended the farm. Saputo said it had introduced anger-management training and CCTV at the farm.
Activist Joey Carbstrong, who carried out the investigation, said Saputo had sent an email warning farms to be vigilant of strangers. He said: “Wouldn’t you say stop abusing cows?” An RSPCA spokesperson said the footage showed “shocking behaviour” that caused “significant distress and pain to the cows”.
Both farms supply milk to Saputo, which produces Cathedral City cheese, and Clover and Country Life spreads. The government and Cornwall Council confirmed animal-welfare officials are investigating.
