Bernard Matthews probes cruelty claim


19 June 2007 11:40

Turkey producer Bernard Matthews was again embroiled in controversy today after footage showed a worker abusing animals at one of its farms.

Secretly-obtained video film shows a worker repeatedly kicking turkeys at the firm's farm in Wreningham, near Wymondham.

It comes a year after footage was obtained of two of the firm's staff playing baseball with live turkeys at its farm in Haveringland, Norfolk.

After that incident, turkey catchers Daniel Palmer, 27, and Neil Allen, 30, were ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.

The latest footage was released by animal rights activists at the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Frettenham.

Founder of the charity, Wendy Valentine, said: “This is totally unacceptable cruelty. The man is just going up to the turkeys and booting them for no apparent reason. They are well aimed kicks at individual birds. He is not just using his feet to gently move them out of the way. We have the best animal welfare laws in the world but they are not applied enough.”

The video shows a worker in overalls kicking eight separate birds before they are loaded into crates. It was filmed last Thursday at 1.30am. The footage follows a turbulent 12 months for Bernard Matthews.

In February this year it was rocked by an outbreak of bird flu at a farm in Holton, near Halesworth, Suffolk.

Production at the farm and its adjoining factory had to be halted and 160,000 birds were culled after the virulent H5N1 strain was identified.

Consumer confidence in the company's products suffered a huge blow, sales slumped and scores of workers were made redundant.

The firm recently launched a multi-million pound campaign to restore consumer confidence.

A spokesman for Bernard Matthews said today: “We take animal welfare very seriously and we will not tolerate cruelty to any of our turkeys. We work closely with the relevant bodies, including local and national government authorities and animal welfare organisations, such as the RSPCA, to ensure we maintain the highest standards in this area.

“We have launched an urgent investigation and if this footage proves to have been from a Bernard Matthews farm we will take the appropriate disciplinary action.”

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