A MAN branded a 'danger to animals' has been jailed after breaching a court order banning him from keeping livestock.

Michael Andrew Hawkswell, 40, of Ralph Garth, Tockwith, was sentenced to six months at Harrogate Magistrates Court, for breaching an animal disqualification order.

Hawkswell is subject to the order under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which disqualifies him from owning or keeping animals.

Hawkswell’s vehicle was stopped on August 28 by a police traffic officer on the A65 near Skipton.

He was found with cardboard boxes containing 14 chickens and one duck, with no food, water or breathing holes.

A few months later, on December 11, officers on a routine patrol again stopped Hawkswell in a vehicle, near Bagby on the A19.This time they found a sheep, two hens, two pigeons and four dead turkeys.

On both occasions, Hawkswell was arrested and subsequently charged. He admitted breaching the order when he appeared at Skipton Magistrates' Court in January and was sent to the Harrogate court for sentencing.

After the sentencing, Sergeant Kevin Kelly, from North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: “Hawkswell is a danger to animals. As we became aware of him breaching his animal disqualification order, we raised his profile among officers in North Yorkshire Police and worked closely with the RSPCA, leading to the arrests and subsequent jail sentence.

“We take rural, wildlife and animal-related crime extremely seriously, and are leading the way nationally in how such offences are dealt with. This result is testament to our commitment. While Hawkswell or anyone else continues to breach an animal disqualification order, we will continue to bring them to justice.”

Hawkswell was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £115.