Slaughterhouses, knacker's yards and farms: inspections and penalties
Know when your premises could be inspected, the powers inspectors have, and enforcement notices and penalties you could receive for sites that kill animals.
Applies to England
This guidance is for slaughterhouses, knacker바카라 사이트檚 yards and farms.
Your premises could be inspected to make sure you바카라 사이트檙e following the rules for the welfare of animals at the time of killing.
Your premises may be inspected by:
- a vet from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) if you run a slaughterhouse
- an officer from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), or local authority if you have a knacker바카라 사이트檚 yard, farm or if you are producing small quantities of poultry, rabbits or hares for local supply
Notice of an inspection
You바카라 사이트檒l usually get reasonable notice of an inspection, although there바카라 사이트檚 no specific notice period.
The inspector will not give you notice:
- if they바카라 사이트檝e been unable to make an appointment with you
- if giving you notice means their visit could be less effective, such as if they suspect you바카라 사이트檙e breaking the law
- in an emergency
What happens during an inspection
The inspector can:
- bring to the inspection anyone they think is necessary
- examine all land, buildings, containers or vehicles on your premises 바카라 사이트� they cannot come into your home unless they have a warrant
- ask you questions
- examine and test anything
- watch anything that바카라 사이트檚 happening at your premises
- make recordings and take photos
-
remove a part or all of any animal or carcass
- inspect or take away any computer or equipment
- ask you to show them any document so they can read it or copy it
- ask anyone at your business for help, information, equipment or facilities to carry out their work
If an inspector takes anything away you바카라 사이트檒l get a receipt. You바카라 사이트檒l get your things back when they바카라 사이트檝e finished inspecting them. There바카라 사이트檚 no time limit in which they have to return them to you.
If an inspector is going to use anything belonging to you in a court case, you will not get it back until the court case is over.
If you바카라 사이트檙e away
If an inspector visits your premises when you바카라 사이트檙e not there, they must leave your premises as secure as when they went in.
When you could be prosecuted
You can be prosecuted if you breach the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) Regulations. Offences include:
- operating without a valid certificate of competence (CoC) or WATOK licence
- failing to meet the requirements for a slaughterhouse
- failing to meet the requirements for killing other than in a slaughterhouse (such as on a farm)
- failing to meet the requirements and guidelines for religious slaughter
- killing animals other than those to which the retained Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing applies to
- not complying with an enforcement notice
- intentionally obstructing an inspector
- giving an inspector misleading information
- failing to help an inspector unless you have a good reason not to help them
- failing to give the inspector any information that바카라 사이트檚 relevant for the inspection
- failing to give or show the inspector any relevant documents
When a company can be prosecuted
If a corporate body (such as a company or institution) is guilty of an offence, its director or secretary (or anyone acting as one) may also be guilty of an offence.
This can happen if it바카라 사이트檚 proved that they either:
- consented to the offence
- were involved in the offence through 바카라 사이트榗onnivance바카라 사이트� (such as if they secretly knew about it)
Penalties you could receive
You may have to appear at a magistrates바카라 사이트� court if you commit an offence.
If you바카라 사이트檙e found guilty of an offence you could be either:
- given an unlimited fine
- put in prison for up to 3 months
When you could get an enforcement notice
An inspector may issue you with a written enforcement notice if they think you바카라 사이트檙e breaking the law.
An enforcement notice can tell you to:
- correct an illegal procedure or piece of equipment
- reduce the rate of your operation until you바카라 사이트檝e put things right
- stop you from carrying out a procedure or using facilities or a piece of equipment until you바카라 사이트檝e put things right
The enforcement notice will include:
- your name
- the time and date of the notice
- how you바카라 사이트檝e breached the regulations
- what you must do to put things right
- when you have to do it by
- how you can appeal
If you put things right
You바카라 사이트檒l get a completion notice if the inspector is satisfied that you바카라 사이트檝e put things right.
If the inspector thinks you still have more to do, they tell you why, and how you can appeal.
When your certificate or licence could be suspended or revoked
Your CoC, temporary CoC or WATOK licence could be suspended or revoked (cancelled) if you:
- have broken animal welfare rules
- have been convicted of an offence relating to animals
- are no longer a 바카라 사이트榝it and proper바카라 사이트� person to hold a certificate or licence
- are no longer capable of carrying out a procedure
When you can appeal
You can appeal to a tribunal if you think that:
- you should not have received an enforcement notice
- you should have received a completion notice
- you should not have had a CoC or WATOK licence suspended or revoked
- the FSA should not have refused to give you a licence or CoC
You must appeal within 28 days using and following the process in the appeals form.
The FSA or APHA must reply to you and the tribunal within 28 days. Once they바카라 사이트檝e done this, you must reply to the tribunal and the FSA or APHA within 14 days.
Tribunal hearings for appeals
The court will set a date that suits everyone if your appeal goes to a tribunal hearing. The judge will give everyone a fair chance to speak.
You can ask the judge to keep a hearing or certain information in the hearing private. It바카라 사이트檚 up to the judge to decide on this.
You can ask someone to represent you at the hearing. They do not need to be legally qualified, but you must tell the tribunal and the FSA or APHA if they바카라 사이트檙e not.
You can agree to the tribunal making a decision on your case without a hearing if you want to save time. This is called a consent order. However, the hearing can still go ahead if you, the FSA or APHA insist on it.
Cancelling your appeal
You can write to the tribunal if you decide you do not want to carry on with your appeal. The tribunal will usually agree to cancel your appeal, however it might not cancel it if it believes it has good reason.
If you change your mind and want to carry on with your appeal, you can write to the tribunal. You must inform the tribunal of this within 28 days of when it was informed that you did not want to carry on.
Updates to this page
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Content has been reviewed as part of improvements to the welfare of animals at the time of killing pages. Updates approved by Welfare at Slaughter team.
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EU regulations not applicable after EU Exit regards to prosecution in the UK.
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First published.