Safeguarding the health and welfare of livestock is paramount in the UK to minimise the chance of disease.

Strict laws extend to animal by-products, in a tightly-regulated system that operates to ensure that outbreaks of diseases such as foot and mouth and BSE are kept under control.

Across the country, local authorities have a raft of responsibilities to ensure that farmers, livestock keepers and others working in the sector comply with these rules.

“If we are notified of a welfare problem, we would visit alongside a vet from the Government’s Animal Health Agency, and we would act on their advice,” says Bradford Council animal health inspector Andy Measey.

“We act on tip-offs from members of the public and other farmers. If there is a problem we advise the farmer, and if they don’t take note of that advice, it is possible that action could be taken against them.”

He adds: “We prefer to go down the road of advice and education. Prosecution is a last resort.”

But, inevitably, that route is sometimes taken. Earlier this month, Silsden farmer David Holmes was found guilty of two charges of breaching a previous ban on keeping animals and six charges of causing unnecessary suffering. He will return to Bradford Magistrates’ Court in October for sentencing.

“Farmers are aware of their responsibilities”, adds Andy, who works with colleage Kevin Toyne in the department of environmental health. “It is in their best interests to keep their animals healthy.”

Movements of livestock can be monitored through national databases. “For pigs and sheep there is a reporting system, and owners have to notify the local authority within three days.”

Cattle – which are ear-tagged within seven days of birth - have passports and all movements are logged by the Cumbria-based British Cattle Movement service.

“We check farm records – if we are visiting a farm, we will print off movement details and compare them with those kept by the farmer.”

When cattle and sheep are moved, the farmer must wait for six days to pass before moving them again, as they could be incubating diseases that would show up within that time.” For pigs, this period is 20 days.

Officers monitor these so-called ‘standstill’ periods on the databases. “If livestock keepers have breached that standstill, we will pay them a visit,” says Andy.

As in the case of David Holmes, breaches do happen and warnings are issued. After two warnings, formal action can be taken. “It is vital that we keep on top of this to ensure the disease-free status of the national herd,” says Andy.

Environmental health manager Angela Brindle stresses that very few cases end in formal action being taken.

In the last financial year, out of 173 farm visits and 61 requests for visits, only one ended in prosecution, down from three the previous year. Seventy-three live animals were seized and 78 confiscated.

Also hitting the headlines this month is a case involving the spillage of animal by-products on a country road in Queensbury. Earlier this year Alba Transport, the transport arm of Halifax-based Leo Group pleaded guilty at Bradford Magistrates’ Court to two offences of contraventions of the Animal By-Products Regulations 2005, with six other charges being taken into consideration.

Due to the seriousness of the offences, the case was passed to the Crown Court for sentencing and is now due to be heard on September 29.

Officers regularly visit companies to carry out spot checks on vehicles and look at the type of material they are processing. “We check that the material is what they say it is,” says Andy.

The Animal Health Agency monitor the process within the plant to ensure they comply with the regulations. “Once the waste has been deposited, we check that vehicles are cleaned and properly disinfected.”

Farm visits are vital to prevent the spread of disease. “We have an annual programme of visits and look at the controls in place,” says Angela. “Farms are graded high, medium or low risk, which determines how frequently we inspect.”

Adds Andy: “High risk would be a farm from which there are multiple movements of cattle, sheep or pigs. There is a perceived higher risk of the spread of disease.” All livestock movements from farms are recorded on a central database provided by the Animal Health Agency and administered by local authorities.

The department is also responsible for licensing shops selling pets, dog breeders, kennels and catteries, as well as those wishing to keep dangerous wild animals and performing animals.