A Bradford slaughterhouse has been put "under the microscope" by the authorities, pushing it slowly towards insolvency, the city's magistrates heard today.

Between 2002 and last year, Yorkshire Poultry Products Ltd was hit with fines totalling more than £54,000 for breaching regulations covering its chicken-slaughtering plant in Hammerton Street.

Last week, another £12,000 of fines was handed out for similar offences and yesterday the total rose by a further £8,000, plus £2,000 in costs.

The firm's solicitor, John Howe, said each time it moved nearer the "precipice of insolvency." It was paying off fines at £500 a month, he said.

"Over the past five years or so this company has been under the microscope somewhat and has been fined quite heavily," said Mr Howe. "Any substantial fines will simply tip them over the edge."

The firm pleaded guilty to four breaches of animal welfare regulations, between October 21 and 24 last year.

Nick de-la-Poer, for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said the offences arose from a visit by a Bradford environmental health officer.

The plant was closed for the Eid holiday and no slaughtering was taking place but the officer saw three live chickens against a wall. They and two others were rounded up.

The chickens - which had escaped the slaughter process - had been without food or water for almost three days.

Mr Howe said that of 40,000 chickens for slaughter that day, five had escaped. It was not unknown and staff were supposed to check.

The firm had to compete with cheap foreign imports and it would have been far easier to import meat, but the owners had decided against that.

They had taken the course of massive investment - over £5 million - to comply with European legislation.