Cows ‘beaten and left in squalid conditions’ at farm used by UK’s largest milk producer

Undercover footage from a dairy farm providing milk to the UK’s largest producer has revealed staff abusing cows, slapping new-born calves and allegedly denying the animals veterinary care.

Filmed at Lowfields Farm in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, staff members can be seen using pipes, kicks, and tail twisting on the cows, while injured animals appeared to be left to suffer without treatment.

Dead calves and an adult cow were allegedly left in the open, while the footage showed lame cows who were struggling to walk being violently forced into trucks, violating animal transport laws.

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The findings were on a farm that is part of a co-operative group of farmers called Arla, which process and supply milk to retailers. Arla is not responsible for the farm, but it sets standards members must adhere to.

The charity Animal Justice Project is now calling on supermarkets to sever their ties with Arla, which reported £1.2bn in revenue during the first half of 2024.

Meanwhile, the findings have led to a legal complaint to trading standards, with Arla, which released a statement on behalf of the farm to The Independent, stating that staff members involved have not been working at the farm since last summer.

“This investigation exposes not only the shocking cruelty inflicted on cows and calves at this farm but also the brutal, hidden reality these animals face daily in milk production,” said Claire Palmer, director of Animal Justice Project.

”This indicates that mistreatment was not only routine but also tolerated and ingrained within the farm’s operations, raising serious concerns about Arla’s standards and oversight.”

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A report by the Social Market Foundation found that only 2.3 per cent of UK animal welfare breaches result in a prosecution, with local authority inspections plummeting due to budget cuts, which has resulted in farms being largely self regulated.

Alick Simmons, former UK government deputy chief veterinary officer and former Food Standards Agency veterinary director, said: “The footage reveals deeply concerning incidents of animal mistreatment on a large-scale dairy farm. The repeated use of sticks, plastic piping, and electric goads – often applied excessively and inappropriately – demonstrates a complete disregard for animal welfare.

“Several instances captured in the video appear to constitute breaches of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and warrant urgent regulatory investigation. That such abuses occurred at a farm linked to a company presenting itself as an industry leader raises serious questions about oversight and accountability.”

Arla said it was handling media inquiries over the matter, and asked for the farm not to be contacted. A spokesperson said: “Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach. We take any matters relating to this extremely seriously.

“The actions that are shown in this footage are completely unacceptable and do not meet the high standards that we expect from our farmers.

“The individuals in the video are no longer employed at the farm, however, Arla has taken the decision to suspend the farmer whilst we investigate this further.

“While the investigation is still ongoing, we have already put a number of measures in place alongside independent auditors and external standards organisations.”

North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said:“We are carrying out an investigation about alleged serious animal mistreatment at Lowfields Farm in Northallerton. As this is a live case, we are unable to comment further at this stage. We take all allegations seriously and will not hesitate to take action.”