Cattle dealer sentenced for failing to test for Bovine TB

Bovine TB can have a devastating effect on cattle and rural economies. Credit: PA

A cattle dealer has been sentenced for failing to test his animals for a deadly disease, which has previously been found in Cumbria.

Lesley Anthony John England, 65, from Devon, didn't test his animals for bovine tuberculosis, or ensure their movements could be traced as part of animal disease controls.

He was sentenced to:

  • 90-hour community penalty

  • £60 victim surcharge

  • Costs of £13,572 to Cumbria County Council's Trading Standards, who brought the prosecution

He had been convicted following a trial at Carlisle Magistrates Court on 3 September, of:

  • Sixteen offences of failing to carry out bovine tuberculosis (bTB) pre-movement testing of a total of 59 cattle on various dates between May and August 2014

  • Seven offences of failing to notify the movements of a total of 45 cattle between April and June 2013

  • One offence of failing to notify the use of land.